- Date
- March 27, 1989, 15:55 local (20:55 UTC)
- Place
- Manhattan, NY
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N760PSikorsky S-76AN586CSikorsky S-76A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA reports
- 19890327010021A19890327010022A
- Case key
- 36279
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 of the other helicopter misjudged clearance between his and the other helicopter. Factors related to the accident were: inadequate layout (markings) of the heliport parking area, insufficient standard/requirement for numerical indication of maximum rotor diameter accommodations at the helicopter parking facilities. Failure of the UNICOM operator to advise the pilots of parking spots that were designated for larger (S-76) helicopters, and the proximity of the other helicopter.
The pilot misjudged clearance between his and the other helicopter. Factors related to the accident were: inadequate layout (markings) of the heliport parking area, insufficient standard/requirement for numerical indication of maximum rotor diameter accommodations at helicopter parking facilities, failure of the UNICOM operator to advise the pilots of parking spots that were designated for larger (S-76) helicopters, and proximity of the other helicopter.
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 main rotor blades of 2 Sikorsky S-76A helicopters made ctc at the wall street heliport/parking barge, as one (N586C)was parked in spot 11 with the rotors turning & the other (N760P) lndd in spot 12. The plts of N586C had lndd 7 minearlier & were waiting for pax. The UNICOM operator said that as N760P was arriving, he told the plts there was anotherhelicopter 'turning on spot 11 & to park along side them at their discretion.' An inv revealed the barge had 12 parkingspots. The pads at spots 4, 5 & 6 were designated for S-76 helicopters & measured 57'. The other parking spots were forbell 222'S & were 45' apart. The main rotor span of an S-76 was 44'. N586C was parked abt 4' left of spot 11'S center-line. As N760P lndd in the center of spot 12 (left of spot 11), the rotor blades intermeshed, neither crew was adzd thatspots 4, 5 & 6 were for larger (S-76) helicopters. Existing FAA advisories for heliports did not provide for markingsto indicate the maximum rotor diameter acceptable for designated parking areas.
The main rotor blades of 2 Sikorsky S-76A helicopters made ctc at the wall street heliport/parking barge, as one (N586C)was parked in spot 11 with the rotors turning & the other (N760P) lndd in spot 12. The plts of N586C had lndd 7 minearlier & were waiting for pax. The UNICOM operator said that as N760P was arriving, he told the plts there was anotherhelicopter 'turning on spot 11 & to park along side them at their discretion.' An inv revealed the barge had 12 parkingspots. The pads at spots 4, 5 & 6 were designated for S-76 helicopters & measured 57'. The other parking spots were forbell 222'S & were 45' apart. The main rotor span of an S-76 was 44'. N586C was parked abt 4' left of spot 11'S center-line. As N760P lndd in the center of spot 12 (left of spot 11), the rotor blades intermeshed. Neither crew was adzd thatspots 4, 5 & 6 were for larger (S-76) helicopters. Existing FAA advisories for heliports did not provide for markingsto indicate the maximum rotor diameter acceptable for designated parking areas.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N760P
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-76A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 760235
- Airframe hours
- 2,438
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30S, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Registered owner
- International Business Machine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 11, 1989 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- Armonk, NY
- Airport
- JRB · Wall St Heliport
- Registration
- N586C
- Reported as
- Sikorsky S-76A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 760074
- Airframe hours
- 2,287
- Engine
- Allison 250-C305, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Executive Air Fleet
- Registered owner
- Squibb Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 6, 1989 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- TEB · Teterboro, NJ
- Airport
- JRB · Wall St Heliport
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N760P
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 13,500 total · 1,950 in this make and model · 11,000 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N586C
- Age
- 37
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,900 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LGA, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.