Sikorsky S-76A N767SA
22 February 1989 · Washington, Pennsylvania, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 22 February 1989 at about 13:30 local time, a Sikorsky S-76A registered N767SA, operated by E.i. du Pont de Nemours & Co., was involved in an accident near Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 13:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Washington, Pennsylvania, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.1693, -80.2401
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S-76A
- Registration
- N767SA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- E.i. du Pont de Nemours & Co.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Executive/Corporate
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Upper St. Clair → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC89FA088
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) WHICH RESULTED IN HIS LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PILOT'S FLIGHT INTO KNOWN WEATHER, THE ADVERSE WEATHER, AND TREES AT THE ACCIDENT SIGHT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE SIKORSKY S-76A WAS EN ROUTE BETWEEN TWO UNCONTROLLED HELIPORTS, OPERATING BELOW A CLOUD LAYER. THE SHIP INADVERTENTLY ENCOUNTERED REDUCED VISIBILITY AND THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER CLEAR OF THE AREA. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER ROTATED TO THE RIGHT & SETTLING WITH POWER. THE PLT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND TRIED TO FLY OUT, BUT THE SHIP CONTACTED TREES WITH THE MAIN ROTORS AND SETTLED TO THE GROUND ON THE LEFT SIDE, RECEIVING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PIC HAD DESCRIBED THE WEATHER TO THE SIC AS GOOD ENOUGH TO TAKE A LOOK, BUT NOT BAD ENOUGH TO CANCEL.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Sikorsky S-76A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Mar 1989 | Sikorsky S-76A | Manhattan, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1988 | Sikorsky S-76A | Moundsville, West Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Mar 1988 | Sikorsky S-76A | Offshore Oil | Air Logistics | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Aug 1988 | Sikorsky S-76A | Teterboro, New Jersey, United States | Nimad Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 5 Feb 1987 | Sikorsky S-76A | Angleton, Texas, United States | Air Logistics, Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Jun 1992 | Sikorsky S-76A | Morgan City, Louisiana, United States | Mobil Oil Explor Prod SE Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 1989 | Cessna 150L | Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States | Gull Aviation, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 1989 | Schweizer 1-23 | Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, United States | Bruno Cerceo | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 1989 | Cessna 172 | Mt Pleasant, Pennsylvania, United States | Milton R. Barclay | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1989 | Schweizer 269C | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Atlantic Leasing SER., Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 1989 | Grumman AA-5 | Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, United States | Jess Baker | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1989 | Ryan ST-3KR | Factoryville, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |