- Date
- October 7, 1983, 19:16 local (23:16 UTC)
- Place
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- YV323Sikorsky S-61N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 30946
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.
Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction
Rotor system,main rotor blade - separationCause
Insufficient standards/requirements,aircraftFactor
Rotor system,main rotor blade - stress corrosionFactor
Rotor system,main rotor blade - fatigueFactor
Altitude deviation,uncontrolled
In flight collision with terrain/water
Analysis
While descending for a landing there was a separation of an outboard section of the main red rotor blade. An old crack was noted & the fracture was attributed to high stress low cycle fatigue damage initiating from corrosion pitting.
Aircraft
- Registration
- YV323
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-61N
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 61472
- Airframe hours
- 11,973
- Engine
- GE CT-58-140-1, 1,150 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 103
- Operator
- Aerotecnica Ltd.
- Registered owner
- Okanagan Helicopters, Lt.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 24, 1983 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- MYNN · Nassau
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PBI · Palm Beach International
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,500 total · 2,200 in this make and model · 7,200 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 30,000 ft unknown
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI, 1 nm away