Sikorsky S 58JT N827MW
10 November 2019 · Lebanon, Indiana, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 10 November 2019 at about 18:16 local time, a Sikorsky S 58JT registered N827MW, operated by Midwest Helicopter Airways, Inc., was involved in an accident near Lebanon, Indiana, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 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 18:16
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lebanon, Indiana, United States
- Nearest airport
- Boone County (6I4)
- Coordinates
- 40.0361, -86.4822
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S 58JT
- Registration
- N827MW
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1958
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Midwest Helicopter Airways, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Indianapolis → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- GAA20CA063
People
3 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain proper clearance from a tractor trailer during landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he conducted a low-reconnaissance flight in the helicopter over the intended landing site, which was just east of a building. Shortly after, he realized that the landing site had changed to west of the building. He maneuvered the helicopter to a hover over the new landing site about 75 ft above ground level and started a vertical descent. During the descent, a company mechanic seated in the left seat told the pilot of an obstacle left of the helicopter. He acknowledged seeing the obstacle and continued to descend. Shortly after touchdown, as the pilot reduced the throttle setting to idle, the main rotor blades struck a tractor trailer, the helicopter yawed, and the tail rotor blades struck the trailer. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and tail rotor systems. The director of operations reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Sikorsky S-58JT accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Aug 2012 | Sikorsky S-58JT | Middletown, Delaware, United States | Aircrane Inc | No injuries | - |
| 22 Dec 2003 | Sikorsky S-58JT | Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Feb 1995 | Sikorsky S-58JT | Marblemount, Washington, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2019 | Rans S12 | Orleans, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Sep 2019 | Diamond DA20 | Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 2019 | Cessna 152 | Lafayette, Indiana, United States | Purdue Aviation Llc | No injuries | - |
| 22 May 2019 | Cessna S550 | Greenfield, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 Oct 2019 | Piper AEROSTAR 602P | Kokomo, Indiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Jul 2019 | North Wing Uum SCOUT | Westfield, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |