Sikorsky S-55 N1255T
24 July 2009 · Chelan, Washington, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 24 July 2009 at about 21:45 local time, a Sikorsky S-55 registered N1255T, operated by David C. Smith, was involved in an accident near Chelan, Washington, United States. One person was 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 21:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Chelan, Washington, United States
- Coordinates
- 47.8661, -119.9428
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S-55
- Registration
- N1255T
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- David C. Smith
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Chelan → Chelan
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR09LA371
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Failure of a seal in the hydraulic system resulting in a loss of hydraulic pressure while maneuvering at low altitude.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was using rotor wash to dry cherries at low altitude when the helicopter lost hydraulic pressure. After clearing a stand of trees, the pilot made an emergency run-on landing into a vacant field. During the landing, one of the landing skids hit a large hole, and the main rotor severed the tail boom. Post accident examination revealed that an internal seal had leaked resulting in the loss of pressure in the hydraulic system.
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 | - |
| 25 Jun 2002 | Sikorsky S-55-QT | Orlando, Florida, United States | Whisper Jet | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jul 2009 | Evektor-Aerotechnik As SPORTSTAR | Snohomish, Washington, United States | Snohomish Flying Service Inc | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jul 2009 | Bielawa ROTORWAY E | Sequim, Washington, United States | R L Bielawa Associates Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Oct 2009 | Cessna 172P | Renton, Washington, United States | Boeing Employees Flying Assoc Inc | No injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 2009 | Smith Albert F CHALLENGER TWO | Moses Lake, Washington, United States | Angel Wings Aviation LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 2009 | Morgan James E MORGAN RV6 | Everett, Washington, United States | Morgan James E | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 2009 | Piper PA-12 | Burlington, Washington, United States | Bruce L. Heiner | Fatal | 1 |