Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Long Island Cty, New York 11101
Sunday, May 1, 1988 10:23 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE BELL 206B WAS ON A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT AROUND THE ISLAND OF MANHATTAN WHEN IT EXPERIENCED A LOW ROTOR RPM SITUATION. THE PILOT SAID HE COULD NOT RECOVER ROTOR RPM AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN THE EAST RIVER. THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND HUNG ONTO THE FLOATS WHICH WERE INFLATED AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. ONE PASSENGER DID NOT ESCAPE, WAS FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT 1 1/2 HOURS LATER AND DIED OF DROWNING. A FATIGUE CRACK WAS FOUND ON THE POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR NEAR THE PY PORT WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS SAID A WARNING HORN IDENTIFIED AS THE LOW ROTOR WARNING HORN, STAYED ON THROUGHOUT THE DESCENT. THE LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING HORN IS DESIGNED TO SOUND WHEN A LOW ROTOR RPM CONDITION EXISTS. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY COLLECTIVE CONTROL PROBLEM WAS FOUND AND THE PILOT DID NOT MENTION A JAMMED COLLECTIVE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/1/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1023 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | LONG ISLAND CTY |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 11101 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TSS |
| 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 | 5 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1050 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 75 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LGA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 22 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2122 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 1 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1120 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 38627 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:46AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7094J |
| NTSB Number | NYC88FA133 |
| 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 | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 727 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 13 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 54 |
| Airframe Hours | 7395 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ISLAND HELICOPTERS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | NORTH AVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | GARDEN CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 11530 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ISLAND HELICOPTERS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | NORTH AVENUE |
| Operator City | GARDEN CITY |
| Operator State | NY |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 11530 |
| Operator Code | BJAA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TSS |
| Departure City | MANHATTAN |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1015 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 22 2001 3:51PM |
| 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 | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |