- Date
- October 31, 1991, 09:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Kosrae
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7162RBell 47-G5A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911031048229A
- Case key
- 27490
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot-in-command's improper preflight inspection of the helicopter resulting in a tiedown strap not being removed from the right skid and subsequent roll over on takeoff.
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 chief officer of the fishing vessel don juan z said that the helicopter was attempting to lift off the helipad and suddenly rolled to the left, crashing into the starboard side of the ship, then rolled into the ocean inverted. The helicopter mechanic assigned to the ship said that the starboard tiedown was still attached to the right skid of the helicopter as it tried to lift off. The accident occurred at 0955 local ship time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7162R
- Reported as
- Bell 47-G5A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 25071
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-B1A, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Don Juan Z Fishing Co.
- Registered owner
- Larry Z Fishing Co. Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 8, 1991 · 100 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · Ship Don Juan Z
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.