Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
Wednesday, February 22, 1995 9:37 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE (MSP) HELICOPTER DEPARTED A HELIPORT WITH TWO CREWMEMBERS & TWO PASSENGERS, & CLIMBED TO ABOUT 600' OVER A RIVER. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING A PUFF OF "SMOKE" (OR VAPOR) FROM THE ENGINE EXHAUST. THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED TO TURN TOWARD THE RIVER BANK & DESCEND AT AN ANGLE BETWEEN 45 & 70 DEGREES. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE EITHER TURNING SLOWLY OR HAD STOPPED PRIOR TO THE HELICOPTER COLLIDING WITH A BOAT HOUSE ROOF. NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OF THE MAIN ROTOR OR TRANSMISSION WAS FOUND. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT FIVE OF THE SIX FUEL INJECTION PORTS WERE CLOGGED. SAMPLES FROM THE HELICOPTER FUEL SYSTEM CONTAINED IRON OXIDE & WATER. THE MSP HAD A 6,000 GALLON IN-GROUND FUEL STORAGE TANK THAT HAD NOT BEEN MAINTAINED OR SECURED IN 14 YEARS (EXCEPT FOR A FILTER CHANGE BETWEEN 1984 AND 1986). FUEL SAMPLES FROM THE STORAGE TANK CONTAINED HIGH LEVELS OF RUST & WATER, AS WELL AS DEGRADED THERMAL PROPERTIES. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF OVERSIGHT IN THE MSP AIR OPERATIONS & NO TRAINING, SAFETY, OR FUEL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. RECORDS SHOWED THAT IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE MSP PROVIDED THE PILOT WITH ONLY ONE TRAINING SESSION THAT CONSISTED OF A TW0 DAY GROUND SCHOOL & ONE FORMAL TRAINING FLIGHT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
1) THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE (MSP) MANAGEMENT'S FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE OVERSIGHT OF ITS AIR WING; 2) FUEL CONTAMINATION AND OBSTRUCTED FUEL INJECTOR NOZZLES, DUE TO INADEQUATE FUEL STORAGE AND STORAGE REQUIREMENTS BY THE MSP, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER; AND 3) THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO EXECUTE A PROPER AUTOROTATION, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF ROTOR RPM AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF HELICOPTER CONTROL.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/22/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 937 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | CAMBRIDGE |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02138 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| 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 | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 954 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BOS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 20 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 12 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 593 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 22 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 25 2001 4:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N20SP |
| NTSB Number | NYC95GA060 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | EUROCOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350-B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS-350-B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1915 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4300 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 13 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 2870 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1010 COMMONWEALTH AVE. |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOSTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 02215 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MA89 |
| Departure City | BOSTON |
| Departure State | MA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 935 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | FRAMINGHAM |
| Destination State | MA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 25 2001 4:05AM |
| 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 | -- |