- Date
- December 3, 1990, 14:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Vernal, UT
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N316BSAerospatiale SA316B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901203052389A
- Case key
- 41369
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 malfunction/failure of the helicopter's main rotor lead-lag damper.
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 acft developed vibrations in flt with severe feedback through the control system to the cyclic stick. The pilot initiated an emergency landing and lost control just before touchdown. The acft impacted the ground while spinning and rolled over. Evidence indicated a malfunction/failure of a main rotor damper.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N316BS
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale SA316B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5399
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARTOUSTE III, 858 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Avman Aviation Helicopter Svc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,363 total · 2,055 in this make and model · 7,363 as pilot in command · 147 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VEL, 19 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.