Aerospatiale SA-319B N90825

Summary

On 7 May 1982 at about 16:05 local time, a Aerospatiale SA-319B registered N90825, operated by Rocky Mountain Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

7 May 1982 at 16:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Jacksonville, Florida, United States

Coordinates

30.2894, -81.6401

Aircraft

Aerospatiale SA-319B

Registration

N90825

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Rocky Mountain Helicopters

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jacksonville → Jacksonville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA82DA116

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT AND CREW WERE USING AN AIR AMBULANCE HELICOPTER WHILE PARTICIPATING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN A SIMULATED DISASTER DRILL. DURING THE DRILL, THE HELICOPTER TOOK OFF WITH TWO OTHER OCCUPANTS THAT HAD VOLUNTEERED TO ACT AS IMMOBILIZED PATIENTS. WITH THIS LOAD, IT WAS NECESSARY TO FLY WITH THE RIGHT CARGO DOOR OPEN. WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 600 FT AGL, A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS EXPERIENCED. THE PILOT SUSPECTED A LOSS OF THE TAIL ROTOR AND ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AT A HIGH RATE OF SINK AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A STRAP, NORMALLY USED TO SECURE CARGO AND PATIENTS, HAD DEPARTED THE CABIN AREA THROUGH THE OPEN CARGO DOOR. THE STRAP HAD BECOME ENTANGLED ON THE TAIL ROTOR. ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WAS TORN OFF ABOUT FOUR INCHES FROM THE HUB.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.