- Date
- February 25, 1994
- Place
- Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N61414Schweizer 300C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940225012679A
- Case key
- 28725
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
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 used for fish-spotting operations from a fishing vessel in the Pacific Ocean. The pilot performed a preflight run-up at which time all indications were normal; then he departed from the ship landing pad. After take off, the pilot was notified that black smoke was coming from the rear of the helicopter. The pilot reacted by turning the helicopter back toward the ship for a precautionary landing. About 70 meters from the ship, the engine RPM dropped to 2,600 and the helicopter began losing altitude. As the helicopter descended to the level of the flight deck, the pilot recognized that he would be unable to land on the ship, and turned away. He stated that he was at an altitude of 70 feet MSL when the engine lost all remaining power. At that time, he reported hearing 'some abnormal sounds from the back of the aircraft.' The float-equipped helicopter descended into the Ocean and capsized.
Factual narrative
On February 25, 1994 at 0620 local ship time, a Schweizer 300C helicopter, N61414, was destroyed during a forced water landing in international waters near Chuuk Island in the Pacific Ocean. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from a fishing vessel. The aircraft was owned by Trans Global Products, Inc., and operated by Fong Seong Fisheries for fish spotting operations from the ship "FONG SEONG 767." Visual meteorological conditions were prevalent at the time and no flight plan had been filed for the operation. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The flight originated from the deck of a fishing vessel at 0615 on the day of the mishap.
The pilot reported that on the morning of the mishap, he had been instructed to prepare the helicopter for a test flight. At 0605, the pilot performed a preflight run-up at which time all indications were normal. At 0615, the pilot took off. After take off, ship crewmen observed black smoke coming from the rear of the helicopter and notified the pilot. The pilot reacted by turning the helicopter back toward the ship for a precautionary landing. While about 20 feet from the ship, the engine rpm dropped to 2,600 and the helicopter began losing altitude. As the helicopter descended to the level of the flight deck, the pilot recognized that he would be unable to land on the ship and turned away. He stated that he was about 50-to-70 meters from the ship at an altitude of 70 feet msl when the engine lost all remaining power. At that time, he reported hearing "some abnormal sounds from the back of the aircraft." The float equipped helicopter descended into the ocean and capsized.
The nature of the engine problem was not disclosed by the operator.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61414
- Reported as
- Schweizer 300C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1614
- Airframe hours
- 243
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Fong Seong Fisheries
- Registered owner
- Trans Global Products, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 1993 · 29 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Ship Fong Seong, PO
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
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,152 total · 333 in this make and model · 1,986 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 25° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.