- Date
- June 20, 1992, 22:33 local (Jun 21, 1992, 02:33 UTC)
- Place
- Middletown, CT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 3 serious; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N117HHMBB BK-117
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920620021379A
- Case key
- 37065
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
A wire strike after the pilot made a decision to continue the approach into an area of hazards. Factors related to the accident were the failure of the pilot and the hospital communicator to request all available information about the landing area and environmental conditions.
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 northbound EMS helicopter struck an unmarked static wire 105 ft above the ground, 1/4 mile south of his landing area. The tail boom separated from the fuselage and the helicopter descended uncontrollably, striking the ground inverted, fatally injuring one occupant. When interviewed after the accident, the pilot said he did not remember the accident. Witnesses said the night was dark with fog beginning to form, and no abrupt maneuvers were observed prior to the wire strike. The investigation found the pilot had not made a recon of the area, nor had he communicated that he had identified the landing area when the wire strike occurred. There were numerous emergency vehicles in the area with red and blue flashing lights when the accident occurred. Additionally, neither the pilot or hospital communications coordinator who took the request for the helicopter, had requested any hazard information about the proposed landing area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N117HH
- Reported as
- MBB BK-117
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7015
- Airframe hours
- 3,625
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS-101-650B1, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Rocky Mountain Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Deutsche Credit Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 6, 1992 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- 0CT9 · Hartford, CT
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,352 total · 801 in this make and model · 37 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HFD, 20 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.