- Date
- September 9, 1986, 16:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- White Plains, NY
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N93AESikorsky SK-76
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860909046989A
- Case key
- 30204
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
Aprx 12 seconds after takeoff while climbing through 400 ft the acft experienced a tail rotor paddle separation. The yellow paddle blade failed first followed by the red. The plt reported hearing a loud bang followed by a severe vibration. A precautionary landing was made without incident. Inspection revealed that the complete paddle spar had failed and separated. There was no evidence of a bird strike or FOD damage. This was the first flt after the tail rotor blade assembly was installed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N93AE
- Reported as
- Sikorsky SK-76
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 760322
- Airframe hours
- 40
- Engine
- P&W PT-6B-36, 1,000 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- American Express
- Registered owner
- American Express
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 12, 1986 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- HPN · White Plains, NY
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- HPN · White Plains
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 7,500 as pilot in command · 84 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.