- Date
- February 22, 1989, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Washington, PA
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N767SASikorsky S-76A
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890222002369A
- Case key
- 36271
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadvertent VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) which resulted in his loss of aircraft control. Factors related to the accident was: the pilot's flight into known weather, the adverse weather, and trees at the accident sight.
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 Sikorsky S-76A was en route between two uncontrolled heliports, operating below a cloud layer. The ship inadvertently encountered reduced visibility and the PIC attempted to maneuver clear of the area. Subsequently, the helicopter rotated to the right & settling with power. The plt lowered the collective and tried to fly out, but the ship contacted trees with the main rotors and settled to the ground on the left side, receiving substantial damage. The PIC had described the weather to the SIC as good enough to take a look, but not bad enough to cancel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N767SA
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-76A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 760062
- Airframe hours
- 2,853
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30S, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co.
- Registered owner
- General Electric Credit Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · November 16, 1988 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- Upper St. Clair, PA
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,454 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 3,363 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AGC, 15 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.