# NTSB MIA05LA088: Schweizer 269D, N4767, Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean), March 29, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 28, 2005, 20:30 local (Mar 29, 2005, 00:30 UTC) - Place: Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean) - Coordinates: 37.635444, -72.861434 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6354&lon=-72.8614&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report July 7, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: San Juan FSDO, SO21 - NTSB case key (mKey): 61221 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA05LA088 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/61221/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA05LA088 ## Probable cause An inflight collision with the ocean for undetermined reasons. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, cruise - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - terrain condition - water ## Analysis The accident helicopter departed La Romana, the Dominican Republic, about 1850, on March 28, 2005, en route to Puerto Rico and it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 2030. On March 28, 2005, U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue assets found debris floating in the Mona Passage, in the Atlantic Ocean, which the pilot's son later positively identified as belonging to his father. Records indicated that the accident pilot held an FAA private pilot certificate with a rotorcraft-helicopter rating. At his last application for an FAA third class medical certificate on August 10, 2004, he reported having accumulated 1,290 hours of total flight experience. He did not possess an instrument rating. ## Factual narrative On March 28, 2005, about 2030 Atlantic standard time, a Schweizer 269D helicopter, N4767, registered to and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean under unknown circumstances while en route from La Romana Airport, La Romana, Dominican Republic, to Isla Grande Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The pilot received fatal injuries, and the helicopter was destroyed. The flight originated in La Romana, Dominican Republic, the same day, about 1850. According to an official with the U.S. Coast Guard, at 2240, the Coast Guard received initial notification from Dominican Republic air traffic control personnel, informing of a helicopter which was overdue. The official further stated that the pilot had last been in radio communications contact with the Las Americas Air Traffic Control Tower, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, at 2021, at which time, the helicopter was about 60 nautical miles west of Borinquen, Puerto Rico, and no emergency radio communications had been received. The Coast Guard official said that in response to the notification, Coast Guard Sector San Juan, initiated searches and ramp checks at the airports in Mayaguez, Borinquen, as well as at the San Juan International Airport, all with negative results. On March 29, 2005, Coast Guard search and rescue assets discovered a small amount of floating debris believed to be associated with the pilot and subject helicopter, in geographic position 18 degrees 31 minutes North latitude, 067 degrees 56 minutes West longitude. On April 19, 2005, the pilot's son positively identified the items the Coast Guard recovered from the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, as belonging to his father. The NTSB did not obtain the accident pilots' records, and information obtained from the FAA showed that the pilot held an FAA private pilot certificate, with a rotorcraft-helicopter rating. According to the information, the pilot had not attained an instrument rating, and he held an FAA third-class medical certificate, issued on August 10, 2004, with the limitation that he must possess spectacles for near vision. At the time of his medical examination he reported having accumulated 1,290 total hours of flight experience, of which 45 hours had been accumulated within the past 6 months. A copy of the accident helicopter's maintenance records were obtained from the repair station which maintained the helicopter, and the records indicated that it had last been given an annual inspection on May 7, 2004. At the time of the annual inspection the helicopter had accumulated a total of 146.7 flight hours. It had also been given an a 25 hour inspection on December 30, 2004, at which time it had accumulated a total flight time of 226.1 flight hours since new. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4767](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4767-2005-04-22), registration cancelled 2005-04-22, S/N 0037A, built 2002 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Schweizer 269D - Registry model: [Schweizer 269D](https://openairdocs.org/model/schweizer-269d) (registry code 8059501) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Allison 250-C20 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (registry code 03020, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 0037A - Airframe hours: 146 - Engines: Allison 250-C20 SER 420 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Waldemar Castro - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 7, 2004 - Departed: MDPC, La Romana - Destination: SIG, San Juan, PR - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; private; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 1,290 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 90° at 4 knots - Visibility: 6 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,000 ft broken - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 68 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg - Observed at: MDPC, 20 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050329005509A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050329005509A), Mar 29, 2005: Scwzer 269D, Punta Cana, DR, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) This office received a call on March 29, 2005 indicating that N4767, a schweitzer 269D, owned and operated by the pilot [privacy data omitted] was lost… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.