Sikorsky S-58ET N580US
10 July 2002 · Brookville, Indiana, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 10 July 2002 at about 20:15 local time, a Sikorsky S-58ET registered N580US, operated by Midwest Helicopter Airways, was involved in an accident near Brookville, Indiana, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 were seriously injured. 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 20:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Brookville, Indiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.5100, -84.9997
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S-58ET
- Registration
- N580US
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Midwest Helicopter Airways
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Shelbyville → Lebanon
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI02FA189
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's intentional low altitude fight and his failure to maintain clearance from power transmission lines. Factors to the accident were the power transmission lines followed by the inability to control the aircraft after the collision with power transmission lines.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter was flying over a lake at a low altitude when it struck power transmission lines, lost control and impacted the lake. The pilot stated that he checked his sectional and was aware of power transmission lines to the east but was not aware of any power transmission lines to the west. The pilot stated that he saw the power transmission lines and attempted to pull up to clear the power transmission lines. The pilot stated that the helicopter was running alright and everything appeared to be operating okay. The power transmission lines that were struck measured 124 feet above the water.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Sikorsky S-58ET accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 2003 | Sikorsky S-58ET | Rancho P.Verdes, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 2011 | Sikorsky S-58ET | El Segundo, California, United States | Aris Helicopters | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1992 | Sikorsky S-58ET | North Platte, Nebraska, United States | Crescent Airways, Inc. | Unknown | - |
| 15 Apr 1989 | Sikorsky S-58ET | Santa Ana, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Nov 1986 | Sikorsky S-58ET | Becker, Minnesota, United States | Helicopter Corp. | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Apr 1985 | Sikorsky S-58ET | Gulf of Mexico | - | Fatal | 3 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jun 2002 | Maule M-7-260C | Fishers, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Nov 2002 | Cessna 182N | Wheatfield, Indiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 2002 | Aviat S-2C | Sheridan, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 24 Jan 2002 | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-41 | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jan 2002 | Beechcraft F33A | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 2002 | Piper PA-60 | Columbus, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |