- Date
- April 1, 1985, 07:40 local (12:40 UTC)
- Place
- Port Elizabeth, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N90885Sikorsky S-55B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850401010029A
- Case key
- 35801
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 landed hard after a decrease in RPM during initial climb. The acft was being used for a sling operation. Investigation revealed a failed clutch assembly, S1435-2500-1. The clutch had operated only 200 hrs since a major overhaul.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90885
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-55B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 553185
- Airframe hours
- 3,442
- Engine
- Wright R-1300-3D, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Registered owner
- Cordoba Helicopter, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 4, 1985 · 1 hours before
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,888 total · 148 in this make and model · 5,580 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- EWR, 1 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.
Other investigations on N90885 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.