Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sabine Pass, Texas 77655
Monday, February 4, 1985 8:53 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE EN ROUTE AT AN ALT OF 500 TO 700 FT, THE #1 ENG SPOOLED DOWN. THE PLT SECURED THE #1 ENG & TURNED BACK TOWARD THE HELIPORT TO MAKE A SINGLE ENG LANDING. HOWEVER, HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT & THE ROTOR RPM BEGAN DROPPING. THE PLT NOTED THAT THE #2 ENG HAD HI TEMP (ABOVE 900 DEGS) & LOW TORQUE. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE INFLATED THE POPOUT FLOATS & MADE A PARTIAL POWER LANDING IN A MARSH. DUE TO LOW ROTOR RPM, THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN HARD & WAS DAMAGED. THE #1 ENG WAS REMOVED & CHECKED IN A TEST CELL & IT OPERATED NORMALLY. THE #2 ENG WAS DAMAGED; HOWEVER, IT'S FUEL MANAGEMENT SYS CHECKED NORMAL. THE ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN IN RAIN SHOWERS WITHOUT USING THE ENG ANTI-ICE. OPERATOR PERSONNEL SUSPECTED THAT INLET ICING CAUSED THE #1 ENG TO FLAME OUT & THE #2 ENG TO LOSE PARTIAL POWER. A WITNESS ESTIMATED THE SURFACE AIR TEMP WAS 33 DEGS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/4/1985 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 853 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | SABINE PASS |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77655 |
| Event Date Year | 1985 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| 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 | 800 |
| 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) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| 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 | Moderate |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 425 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 4 1985 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 27707 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5796A |
| NTSB Number | FTW85LA111 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | AS 355F-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS 355F-1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 5156 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4200 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 28 |
| Airframe Hours | 3158 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PETROLEUM HELICOPTERS INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 90808 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAFAYETTE |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70509 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 850 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| 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 10:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |