- Date
- April 5, 1986, 16:55 local (20:55 UTC)
- Place
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2354Aerospatiale SA316B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860405009779A
- Case key
- 30318
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 pilot-in-command lifted off the helipad vertically to an altitude of 30 feet at which time he experienced a power loss. He backed up the helicopter 20 feet and allowed it to yaw to the right as it descended to the helipad. He landed on the helipad hard with low rotor RPM. Inspection of the engine revealed the gear and spline assembly in the reduction gearbox had stripped thereby disconnecting the gearbox from the turbine section.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2354
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA316B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1587
- Airframe hours
- 9,206
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARTOUSTE IIIB, 542 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Allegheny General Hospital, doing business as [Ems]
- Registered owner
- Rocky Mountain Helicopter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 1986
- Destination
- Clearfield, PA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Allegheny Gen'L Hospital
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,376 total · 381 in this make and model · 88 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.