- Date
- July 22, 1983, 08:40 local (12:40 UTC)
- Place
- Brooklyn, NY
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 2 serious
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19830722034402A19830722034401A
- Case key
- 35063
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
A Cessna U206G float plane, N5328X, & a bell 206A police helicopter, N4797R, collided in flt over Brooklyn, NY. The aircrew of the police helicopter were on a traffic observation flt & had just reported traffic conditions in the vicinity of a toll station when the collision occurred. The float plane was arriving on an air taxi flt to the wall street area of manhattan, NY. A surviving passenger of the float plane said it was in a left turn when she saw the helicopter, just prior to the mid-air collision. The helicopter crashed thru the roof of an unoccupied garage building. The float plane made an emergency descent, wobbling side-to-side, & crashed in the east river. The 2 rear seat passengers egressed before the plane sank. The plt & front seat passenger were injured & drowned. Diver's believed that neither of the front seat occupants were using their shoulder harnesses. The right front seat passenger's shoulder harness was found stowed.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N5328X
- Reported as
- Cessna U206G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20605647
- Airframe hours
- 1,353
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-F, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Waterfront Airways,Inc.
- Registered owner
- Amw Corporation
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 18, 1983 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- Atlantic High, NJ
- Destination
- Manhattan, NY
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.
- Registration
- N4797R
- Reported as
- Bell 206A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 330
- Airframe hours
- 8,563
- Engine
- Allison 250-C18, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Registered owner
- City Of Ny Police Dept.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 15, 1983 · 62 hours before
- Departed
- Brooklyn, NY
- Flight plan
- Military VFR
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N5328X
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 7 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N4797R
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 8,040 total · 2,600 in this make and model · 7,520 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TEB, 9 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.