- Date
- August 17, 1995
- Place
- Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean)
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9213FMcdonnell Douglas 500
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950817028589A
- Case key
- 29190
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 accidental discharge of a spear gun by the observer.
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 pilot was hovering 10 feet over a floating log that the observer was going to mark with a buoy using a spear gun. The observer accidently fired the spear into the main rotor blade system. The pilot was able to maintain aircraft control and made a successful ditching into rough seas. The aft extensions to the utility floats broke during the landing and the helicopter rolled over and sank.
Factual narrative
On August 17, 1995, at 1630 hours local time, a McDonnell Douglas 500 helicopter, N9213F, crashed into the Pacific Ocean 500 miles northwest of America Samoa. The aircraft sank and the two uninjured occupants escaped from the aircraft and were rescued a few hours later. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time. The helicopter was operated by the Starkist Foods Company, Terminal Island, California. The aircraft departed from the motor vessel AURO for a fish spotting mission.
The pilot reported that he was investigating an object in the water that had the appearance of a log and was in the process of reporting and marking its location to the boat. The pilot was in a 10-foot hover over the log while the observer prepared to attach a marker buoy to the log using a spear gun. He reported that the observer accidently shot the spear into the main rotor blade system. The pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft and made an emergency ditching into rough seas. The aft extensions to the utility floats broke on impact and the remaining floats were not able to keep the aircraft afloat. The helicopter rolled over on its side and sank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9213F
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas 500
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 8406305
- Airframe hours
- 6,427
- Engine
- Allison C-20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Caribbean Fishing Co.,Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 7, 1995 · 47 hours before
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,399 total · 7,000 in this make and model · 12,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °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 N9213F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.