- Date
- February 10, 1990, 15:19 local (20:19 UTC)
- Place
- New York City, NY
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N16664Bell 206L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900210001809A
- Case key
- 36526
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 misjudgement of the wind resulting in a downwind takeoff. Additionally the loss of lift when the helicopter flew off the heliport platform, prior to reaching effective translational lift, resulted in the helicopter settling into the water.
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 helicopter lifted off the helipad and made a left pedal turn. The pilot said he checked the wind and thought the wind was from the southwest, meaning he could be taking off in a crosswind, when it fact he took off in a tail wind condition. As the helicopter reached the end of the heliport platform and was flying slow over water the helicopter settled in a nose low attitude. The pilot could not stop the descent and the helicopter went into the river.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16664
- Reported as
- Bell 206L
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45101
- Airframe hours
- 13,515
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Island Helicopter, doing business as Island Helicopter Inc.
- Last inspection
- AAIP · February 8, 1990 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- 6N5
- Airport
- 6N5 · 34th 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,515 total · 329 in this make and model · 1,260 as pilot in command · 97 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 17 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °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.
Other investigations on N16664 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.