Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Edison, New Jersey 08817
Wednesday, January 15, 1992 15:55 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT WAS RETURNING HOME, WHEN ACCORDING TO A WITNESS WHO SAW THE HELICOPTER ABOUT 800 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL AT FIRST. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASED FOLLOWED BY THE HELICOPTER 'DUTCH ROLLING' (BANKING) LEFT AND RIGHT FOR TWO CYCLES AND THEN ROLLED OVER ONE AND HALF TIMES NOSE FIRST AS IT DROPPED BEHIND THE TREES. THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH POWER LINES BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND WAS DESTROYED BY POST-CRASH FIRE. EXAMINATION OF AIRCRAFT CONFIRMED CONTINUITY OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR BOX, AND INTERNAL ROTATIONAL DAMAGE FOR THE ENGINE; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT ROTATIONAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR, TAIL ROTOR, AND ENGINE TO TRANSMISSION DRIVESHAFT (SHORT SHAFT). EXAMINATION OF THE SHAFT REVEALED IT HAD SEPARAED FROM THE BENDIX COUPLINGS AND WAS CRUSHED ALMOST FLAT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ROTATIONAL DAMAGE BETWEEN THE SEPARATED HALVES. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THE FUEL NOZZLE WAS CORRODED WITH FERROUS FIBERS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE BLOCKAGE OF THE FUEL NOZZLE WHICH RESULTED IN PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/15/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1555 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | EDISON |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 08817 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1550 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 210 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EWR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 18 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| 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) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2895 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 15 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1655 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47739 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8674F |
| NTSB Number | BFO92FA022 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 369D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | HU-369-D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 970185D |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2100 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 5 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1026 |
| Airframe Hours | 2100 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SUN DUN INC. OF WASHINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 239 BAYFRONT ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | PASADENA |
| Aircraft Owner State | MD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 21122 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SUN DUN INC. OF WASHINGTON |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 239 BAYFRONT ROAD |
| Operator City | PASADENA |
| Operator State | MD |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 21122 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | NEW YORK |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | PASADENA |
| Destination State | MD |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 9 2002 11:38AM |
| 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 | -- |