- Date
- May 7, 1982, 12:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Jacksonville, FL
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N90825Aerospatiale SA-319B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820507014589A
- Case key
- 71174
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 and crew were using an air ambulance helicopter while participating with the fire department in a simulated disaster drill. During the drill, the helicopter took off with two other occupants that had volunteered to act as immobilized patients. With this load, it was necessary to fly with the right cargo door open. While climbing through about 600 ft AGL, a loss of directional control was experienced. The pilot suspected a loss of the tail rotor and entered an autorotation. The helicopter impacted the terrain at a high rate of sink and was substantially damaged. An investigation revealed that a strap, normally used to secure cargo and patients, had departed the cabin area through the open cargo door. The strap had become entangled on the tail rotor. One tail rotor blade was torn off about four inches from the hub.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90825
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA-319B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2180
- Airframe hours
- 4,544
- Engine
- Turbomeca ASTA20-UX1VB, 856 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Rocky Mountain Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Rocky Mountain Helicopters
- Departed
- Jacksonville, FL
- Destination
- Jacksonville, FL
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 5,577 total · 561 in this make and model · 5,299 as pilot in command · 149 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 171 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRG, 8 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.