Sud SA316B N72590

Summary

On 17 September 1983 at about 14:41 local time, a Sud SA316B registered N72590 was involved in an accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

17 September 1983 at 14:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.4395, -79.9801

Aircraft

Sud SA316B

Registration

N72590

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Monogahela → Pittsburgh

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC83FA244

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 HELICOPTER WAS ON A FLT TO TRANSPORT AN ACUTELY ILL PATIENT FROM ONE HOSPITAL TO ANOTHER. THE AIRCREW CONSISTED OF A PLT & TWO FLT NURSES. DURING ARRIVAL AT THE DESTINATION, THE PLT BEGAN AN APCH TO AN ATHLETIC FIELD THAT WAS SURROUNDED BY TALL BLDGS & A POWER LINE. THE PLT SAID THE APCH WAS MADE ON A SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING WITH THE WIND FROM 230 DEG AT 7 KTS. AT ABOUT 45 FT AGL WITH AN AIRSPEED OF APRX 25 KTS, TRANSLATIONAL LIFT WAS LOST & THE HELICOPTER YAWED LEFT. THE APPLICATION OF FULL RIGHT ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL FAILED TO STOP THE YAW. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN IN A LEFT YAW & THE PLT APPLIED COLLECTIVE. IT BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN, STILL IN A LEFT YAW, THEN THE NOSE GEAR STRUCK THE GROUND & THE ROTOR BLADES STRUCK A BRICK WALL OF A BUILDING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE FIELD. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT DESCREPANCIES. THE FLT NURSES REPORTED THAT THE APCH SEEMED HIGHER & FASTER THAN NORMAL. APRX 7 MI NNW AT PITTSBURG, PA, THE WIND WAS FROM 260 DEG AT 10 KTS. THE PLT HAD APRX 30 HRS WITH CLOCKWISE/FRENCH ROTOR SYS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.