Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Newburyport, Massachusetts 01950
Saturday, June 25, 1988 10:45 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED RUNWAY 10 AT PLUM ISLAND AIRPORT, TURNED LEFT OVER THE PLUM ISLAND RIVER AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT STATED THAT NO WARNING WAS NOTED AND A CHECK OF THE INSTRUMENTS INDICATED NO PROBLEMS. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE ENGINE MADE NO UNUSUAL NOISES. THE HELICOPTER WAS AUTOROTATED INTO WATER. THE OCCUPANTS WERE RESCUED BY A PRIVATE CITIZEN. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. WITNESSES NOTED NO GASOLINE IN OR ON THE WATER. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT LATER SHOWED ABOUT 1 GAL OF FUEL IN THE RT TANK AND AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FUEL AND SALT WATER IN THE LEFT TANK.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/25/1988
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1045
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City NEWBURYPORT
Event State MASSACHUSETTS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 01950
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 6
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 Pilot
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 Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 320
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1818
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 25 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1214
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38065
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:51AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N51711
NTSB Number NYC88LA170
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 47J2
Aircraft Series Identifier 47J2
Aircraft Serial Number 2629
Certified Max Gross Weight 2850
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 Feb 8 1988 12:00AM
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 AIR PLUM ISLAND
Aircraft Owner Street Address PLUM ISLAND AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City NEWBURY
Aircraft Owner State MA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 01951
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name PLUM ISLAND FLYING SERVICE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address PLUM ISLAND AIRPORT
Operator City NEWBURYPORT
Operator State MA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 01950
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 NEWBURYPORT
Departure State MA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1040
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 Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --