Sikorsky S-55-QT N2300Z
25 June 2002 · Orlando, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 25 June 2002 at about 16:45 local time, a Sikorsky S-55-QT registered N2300Z, operated by Whisper Jet, was involved in an accident near Orlando, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was 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 16:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Orlando, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Sanford (FA02)
- Coordinates
- 28.7750, -81.2400
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S-55-QT
- Registration
- N2300Z
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Whisper Jet
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Flight Test
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Sanford → Sanford
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL02LA130
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
Failure of the cyclic lateral control rod end bearing, and subsequent dynamic rollover.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During a maintenance check flight of the helicopter, two auto-rotations at max gross weight with a neutral center of gravity were conducted. During the second maintenance check flight, on the initial run-up the pilot engaged the rotor clutch and heard a loud "bang". The cyclic control pulled from the pilot's hand, and the pilot rolled the throttle to ground idle to regain control the cyclic control. The helicopter rocked from left to right and rolled over on its side. Examination of the airframe found that the cyclic lateral control rod end bearing on the transmission fractured. Examination of the fractured surfaces showed features typical of overstress. No other mechanical or flight control malfunction was reported by the pilot.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Sikorsky S-55 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Aug 2006 | Sikorsky S-55 | Paramount, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 2009 | Sikorsky S-55 | Chelan, Washington, United States | David C. Smith | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 1986 | Sikorsky S-55 | Afton, California, United States | Avag Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jan 1981 | Sikorsky S-55 | Poston, Arizona, United States | Western AZ AG | No injuries | - |
| 29 May 1981 | Sikorsky S-55 | Beaumont, California, United States | Loma Linda MED | Fatal | 6 |
| 23 Oct 1979 | Sikorsky S-55 | Davenport, Florida, United States | FL Helicopter | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 2002 | Cessna 182Q | Orlando, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2002 | Agusta A119 | Okeechobee, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 2002 | Cessna 172P | Lutz, Florida, United States | Troy Mason Heidel | No injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 2002 | Beagle B-206 SERIES 2 | McAlpin, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Jan 2002 | Mooney M20J | Lake Placid, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2002 | Piper PA-46-310P | Osteen, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |