- Date
- March 17, 1986, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Tahoe Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 5 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N88GTAerospatiale AS-350D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 25094
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The helicopter collided with trees and crashed in rough mountainous terrain during takeoff. The acft was shuttling skiers from a landing area located at approximately 8,300 ft mls to a ridgeline at 11,000 ft MSL. The plt reported the EGT (T-4) was at 790 deg (c), over the takeoff 5 min limitation. The plt attempted a normal takeoff. As the acft reached an alt above the 80 ft tall trees below translational lift, it shuddered then spun counterclockwise. The oge maximum recommended weight was computer at 1,812 kilograms or 3,995.5 lbs. The weight calculated by the plt after the accident was 3,995 lbs. Examination of the acft weight and balance records revealed that components were installed on the acft after it had been weighed. The plt did not include all the additional components in his calculations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88GT
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS-350D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1071
- Airframe hours
- 12,522
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS 101-600AC, 595 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Cri Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Unknown · February 15, 1986 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- Free Peak, CA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,596 total · 300 in this make and model · 5,400 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F
Other investigations on N88GT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.