Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gulf-Of-Mexico
Thursday, July 14, 1988 7:25 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DRG LIFT-OFF FROM AN OIL PLATFORM IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, THE HELICOPTER BGN A SLOW UNCOMMANDED LEFT TURN. THE PLT TRIED TO FLY IT BY LOWERING THE NOSE & INCREASING COLLECTIVE. AFTER 2 TURNS, THE HELICOPTER SETTLED & IMPACTED THE WATER IN A LEFT BANK, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE AUTO-PLT WAS NOT DISCONNECTED, NOR WERE THE FLOATS INFLATED. NO PREIMPACT MECH FAILURE WAS FOUND. INTERVIEWS REVEALED THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT STABILIZED IN A HOVER BEFORE INITIATING A TAKEOFF. THERE WAS A PREVIOUS WRITE-UP WHICH STATED 'A/C REQUIRES MORE RIGHT PEDAL THAN USUAL IN HOVER AND FORWARD FLIGHT.' IN RESPONSETO THIS WRITE-UP, A MECHANIC HAD ADJUSTED A TUBE WHICH RAN REARWARD FROM THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE AUTO-PILOT SYSTEM. THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL DESCRIBED THIS TUBE AS BEING ONE OF THE 'SEMI-FIXED' RODS. REFERRING TO THESE RODS, THE MANUAL CAUTIONED, 'THEY ARE ADJUSTED ONCE FOR ALL WHEN THEY ARE FITTED TO THE AIRCRAFT. THEY MUST NOT BE ADJUSTED SUBSEQUENTLY.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
NONE SUBMITTED
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/14/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 725 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | GULF-OF-MEXICO |
| Event State | GULF OF MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00000 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| 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 | 2000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 14 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2267 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 14 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 830 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40079 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N47307 |
| NTSB Number | FTW88FA131 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | SA330J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SA330J |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1402 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 16300 |
| 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 | 17 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 9 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 4727 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TOPSPIN DATA CORP. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEW YORK |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 10105 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O.BOX 90808 |
| Operator City | LAFAYETTE |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 70509 |
| Operator Code | PHM |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger/Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 725 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | EUGENE ISLAND |
| Destination State | OF |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |