- Date
- April 20, 1985, 00:00 local (05:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gulf Of Mexico
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N65526Sikorsky S-58ET
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850420020599A
- Case key
- 31241
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 helicopter disappeared while on an overwater flt from key west, FL to ft peirce, FL. One occupant & the wreckage of the helicopter were subsequently recovered from the Gulf Of Mexico. The plt & the other occupant were not located & were presumed dead. Prior to departure, 1 of the crewmembers was overheard to say 'that didn't sound good'referring to some unusual sound at the time of shut-down. The plt told a witness they were having mechanical difficulty which they would correct in ft pierce. Another witness heard the plt state to 1 of the pax that a cap or part had fallen off & was missing. An exam of the rotating & stationary swashplates which made up the star ass'y revealed that they had separated from each other. A metallurgical exam revealed that 8 of the 12 bolts which secured the rotating star inner race to the ass'y had failed in fatigue; the other 4 bolts were missing. There was extensive damage to the belly, tail cone & pylon.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65526
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-58ET
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 58-750
- Airframe hours
- 4,548
- Engine
- P&W PT6T-3, 750 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Carson Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- EYW · Key West, FL
- Destination
- FPR · Ft. Pierce, FL
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,800 total · 2,800 in this make and model · 7,843 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EYW, 57 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.