- Date
- August 11, 1984, 13:10 local (17:10 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Dix, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N63WWSikorsky S-76A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840811044489A
- Case key
- 35782
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 aircrew of the helicopter contacted mcguire rapcon & obtained clearance to proceed thru the mcguire afb control zone at 1500 ft. a short time later, the crew declared an emergency. Witnesses on the ground heard a loud 'bang' & observed the helicopter suddenly lose alt. The helicopter recovered from the descent & began a turn toward rwy 6/24 at mcguire afb, then it veered sharply to the right & crashed into wooded terrain on ft dix. Trees at the accident site were damaged at an 80 deg angle from the horizon. Fire in the area of the engs was extinguished with halnon 1211 & afff agents. An exam revealed evidence of a left eng failure. There were indications that fragments from the left eng turbine had impacted the rgt eng while it (the rgt eng) was producing power. One of the tail rotor control cables & the tail rotor drive shaft were severed in the area of the rgt eng. A metalurgical check revealed indications of hi cyclic fatigue of the 2nd stage gas producer turbine wheel in the curvic coupling & labyrinth seal area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63WW
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-76A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 760188
- Airframe hours
- 94
- Engine
- Allison 250-C3OS, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Capital Equipment Associates
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Departed
- MMU · Morristown, NJ
- Destination
- AIY · Atlantic, NJ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- WRI · Mcguire Afb, runway 6, 10,000 × 200 ft, macadam
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,100 total · 775 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- WRI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.