- Date
- April 5, 1986, 03:45 local (08:45 UTC)
- Place
- Safe Harbor, PA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N221SCSikorsky S-76
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 30317
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.
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - water,glassyFactor
Light condition - dark nightFactor
Became lost/disoriented - inadvertentCause
Visual lookout - not maintainedFactor
Descent - continuedCause
Analysis
The helicopter was maneuvering at low altitude, low airspeed, while on a search and rescue mission at night, looking for a capsized boat, when it impacted the water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N221SC
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-76
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 760177
- Airframe hours
- 1,248
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30S, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- International Singal Corp.
- Registered owner
- Intl. Signal & Control Group
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 27, 1986
- Departed
- LNS · Lancaster, PA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 9,880 total · 325 in this make and model · 9,533 as pilot in command · 155 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F