- Date
- June 21, 1992, 07:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Pago Pago (Pacific Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N211CBBell 47-G5A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920621026709A
- Case key
- 27660
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's inadequate preflight inspection in failing to ensure that all skid tiedowns were removed prior to the attempted 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 helicopter was operated from a helipad on the fishing vessel m/v kali for fish spotting missions. The ship was in the territorial waters near Pago Pago, American samoa and the time listed above for the accident is local ship time. During the attempted takeoff the helicopter rolled over on its left side; however, it remained on the ship during the entire sequence. Ship crewmen who witnessed the accident reported that the left rear skid was still tied down to the helipad platform when the helicopter attempted to takeoff. The ship sustained damage to the deck and bulwark plates.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N211CB
- Reported as
- Bell 47-G5A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 25073
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B1, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Zeta Fishing Company
- Registered owner
- Zeta Fishing Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 10,700 total · 875 in this make and model · 10,150 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 325° at 20 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N211CB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.