Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pacific Ocean
Saturday, September 17, 1994 16:00
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE HELICOPTER WAS ENGAGED IN FISH SPOTTING OPERATIONS AND FLYING OFF A KOREAN-OWNED TUNA VESSEL 'FIJO GLORIA.' THE OWNER OF FIRM WHICH OPERATES THE HELICOPTER REPORTED THAT HE SPOKE AT LENGTH WITH THE SHIP CAPTAIN AND OTHER CREW MEMBERS ABOUT THE ACCIDENT. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED THE SHIP ABOUT 1500 HOURS LOCAL SHIP TIME FOR A FISH SPOTTING MISSION. ROUTINE COMMUNICATIONS WERE MAINTAINED BETWEEN THE SHIP AND THE HELICOPTER UNTIL THEY CEASED ABOUT 1600 HOURS. HELICOPTERS FROM OTHER FISHING VESSELS THEN REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER HAD CRASHED INTO THE OCEAN 17 MILES FROM THE SHIP. THE PILOTS OF THE OTHER HELICOPTERS REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT FLY INTO THE WATER IN A SHALLOW DESCENT. WHEN THE SHIP ARRIVED AT THE CRASH SITE, THE HELICOPTER WAS FOUND UPSIDE-DOWN IN THE WATER. THE RIGHT SKID FLOAT WAS OBSERVED TO HAVE SEPARATED FROM THE HELICOPTER, WHILE THE LEFT FLOAT REMAINED ATTACHED. THE COCKPIT/CABIN AREA OF THE HELICOPTER WAS REPORTEDLY UNDAMAGED. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM BRITISH AUTHORITIES, THE PILOT WAS A BRITISH NATIONAL WHO WAS A FORMER ROYAL NAVY HELICOPTER PILOT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
an in-flight collision with the water for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/17/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Event State | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 30 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1649 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 4 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1302 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 26 2002 3:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\ZUZL |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2280W |
| NTSB Number | LAX94LA386 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 47G-5 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 47G-5 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7970 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2450 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PAN PACIFIC TRADING CORP |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 700 108TH AVENUE NE |
| Aircraft Owner City | BELLEVUE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98004 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | VICTOR M. REYES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 12761 |
| Operator City | TAMUNING |
| Operator State | GU |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 96930 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | SHIP FIJO GLORI |
| Departure State | PO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | PO |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |