Terrebonne Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Houma, Louisiana 70363
Sunday, September 3, 1989 18:46 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A STUDENT PLT IN CESSNA 152, N24516, TOOK OFF ON RWY 18 TO PRACTICE TFC PATTERN WORK & PERFORM TOUCH & GO LNDGS. ALSO, AN ATP PLT IN AEROSPATIALE AS-355F-1, N5796P, DEPARTED THE HELICOPTER OPNS AREA AT THE NORTH END OF THE ARPT ON A PSNG FLT TO A HOSPITAL ABOUT 3 MI TO THE NW. THE TOWER HAD CLOSED EARLIER (AT 1800 CDT). SVRL ARPT PSNL WERE ON DUTY (INCLUDING PSNL AT OPERATOR FACILITIES); THOSE INTERVIEWED, DID NOT RECALL HEARING A RADIO ADZY FM EITHER PLT. AT ABOUT 1846 CDT, THE 2 ACFT COLLIDED ABOUT 1.4 MI NW OF THE ARPT AT AN ESTD ALT OF 500 TO 600 FT. WITNESSES RPRTD THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS CLIMBING ON A NW HDG, WHILE THE CESSNA WAS IN LVL FLT. ONE WITNESS THOUGHT THE CESSNA HAD TURNED ONTO A BASE LEG FOR RWY 12. JUST BEFORE IMPACT, THE CESSNA ENTERED AN ABRUPT LEFT CLIMBING TURN & ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN SLIGHTLY ABV & TO THE RGT OF THE HELICOPTER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THEY CONVERGED & THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CESSNA, THEN BOTH CRASHED. THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT OBSERVED TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTN.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO SEE-AND-AVOID EACH OTHER'S AIRCRAFT (INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT). A PROBABLE FACTOR WAS: FAILURE OF EITHER PILOT TO ISSUE A TRAFFIC ADVISORY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/3/1989
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1846
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City HOUMA
Event State LOUISIANA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 70363
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport TERREBONNE
Event Location Nearest Airport ID HUM
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 9
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1755 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 140
Weather Observation Facility ID HUM
Elevation of weather observation facility 9
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2800
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 34
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 23
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
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) 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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2230
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 3 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2000
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 41991
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:03PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N24516 N5796P
NTSB Number FTW89FA159A FTW89FA159B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None None
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Destroyed Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None Ground
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA AEROSPATIALE
Aircraft Model 152 AS-355F-1
Aircraft Series Identifier 152 AS-355F-1
Aircraft Serial Number 15208304 5163
Certified Max Gross Weight 1650 5291
Aircraft Category Airplane Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2 4
Number of Engines 1 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Jul 30 1989 12:00AM Aug 22 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 55 7
Airframe Hours 4048 6071
ELT Installed Yes No
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name WALKER-WATTS AVIATION, INC PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address HOUMA AIR BASE P.O. BOX 90808
Aircraft Owner City HOUMA LAFAYETTE
Aircraft Owner State LA LA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 70363 70509
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code PHM
Owner has at least one certificate None Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown External Load
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) Instructional Positioning
Second Pilot on Board No No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes Yes
Departure Airport Code HUM HUM
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1840 1843
Departure Time Zone CDT CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code HUM NONE
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering Climb
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 18 0
Runway Length 5001 --
Runway Width 150 --
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --