- Date
- December 3, 1994, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N23321Sikorsky UH-60A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 5, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 37671
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain separation while ground taxiing between two hangers, resulting in the main rotor blades colliding with a hanger. Contributing to the accident was the lack of written procedures pertaining to ground marshalling of aircraft, and designated parking areas.
Analysis
The pilot-in-command was ground taxiing into an unmarked parking area between two hangers without a ground marshaller. The helicopter's main rotor blades collided with the hanger. There were no written procedures pertaining to marshalling of aircraft or designated parking areas.
Factual narrative
On December 3, 1994, about 1730 eastern standard time, a Sikorsky UH-60A, serial number 23321, registered to U.S. Army Aviation Command, operated by the U.S. Customs Service, on a public-use positioning flight, collided with a hangar while ground taxiing into a parking area at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, St. Petersburg, Florida. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The airline transport-rated pilot, commercial pilot, copilot, air interdiction officer, and two occupants were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an agency flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida, about 1 hour before the accident.
The airline transport-rated pilot-in-command (PIC), and copilot stated after landing they taxied to the U.S. Customs ramp where they were met by maintenance personnel. The PIC was asked to park in a grassy area. They informed the maintenance employee that they had night vision goggles and weapons on board the helicopter, and needed to park in a secure area between the two hangers. No request was made by the PIC, nor was he asked by maintenance personnel if he wanted marshalling support while taxiing the helicopter. He taxied into the unmarked parking area along the northwest corner of the ramp, made a right turn towards the south, and continued towards the southeast corner of the ramp. As they started the final right turn, a crewmember stated, "we are getting close," and the main rotor blades collided with the hanger.
Information pertaining to aircraft information is contained in NTSB Form 6120.1/2 and NTSB Form 6120.4.
Toxicology studies of specimens from the pilot-in-command, and copilot were negative for neutral, acidic, and basic drugs.
Review of written procedures at the Jacksonville Air Branch, Tampa Air Unit, SERV-AIR Inc., Standard Operating Procedures, and the Aviation Operations Handbook for U.S. Customs, revealed there are no written procedures concerning designated parking areas, marking of parking areas, and marshalling of aircraft.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23321
- Reported as
- Sikorsky UH-60A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 79-23321
- Engine
- GE T-700, 1,546 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Public use
- Operator
- U.S. Customs Service
- Registered owner
- U.S.Army Avn Troop Cmd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 25, 1994 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- NIP · Jacksonville, FL
- Destination
- PIE · FL
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PIE · St. Petersburg-Clearwater
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 585 in this make and model · 10,000 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 18,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PIE