- Date
- October 19, 1984, 10:59 local (14:59 UTC)
- Place
- St.Thomas
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8631FHughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841019057359A
- Case key
- 31205
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 acft was flying at 50 feet above the water at 15 knots airspeed photographing a sail boat. The acft then climbed to 150 feet and drifted left over the top of the boat. At this point witnesses reported hearing a loud pop and seeing a puff of black smoke come from the engine exhaust. Engine noise ceased and the acft rolled approx 90 degrees onto its left side and descended into the water. Post crash inspection of the acft revealed no evidence of precrash mechanical failure or malfunction of the structure, rotor head, rotor blades, or main rotor gear box. Inspection of the engine and engine components revealed no evidence to indicate precrash mechanical failure or malfunction. Witnesses reported they saw no components fall from the aircraft prior to the crash.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8631F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 770158D
- Airframe hours
- 1,325
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 375 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Whirlwind Helicopters, doing business as 25a Dronnings Gade Rd.
- Registered owner
- Arjay Aviation Services, Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 20, 1984 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- St.Thomas
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 25 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STT, 10 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.