Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Atlantic Ocean
Monday, March 28, 2005 20:30 AST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The accident helicopter departed La Romana, the Dominican Republic, about 1850, on March 28, 2005, en route to Puerto Rico and it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 2030. On March 28, 2005, U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue assets found debris floating in the Mona Passage, in the Atlantic Ocean, which the pilot's son later positively identified as belonging to his father. Records indicated that the accident pilot held an FAA private pilot certificate with a rotorcraft-helicopter rating. At his last application for an FAA third class medical certificate on August 10, 2004, he reported having accumulated 1,290 hours of total flight experience. He did not possess an instrument rating.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

An inflight collision with the ocean for undetermined reasons.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/28/2005
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 2030
Event Time Zone Atlantic Standard Time
Event City Atlantic Ocean
Event State ATLANTIC OCEAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site --
Event Date Year 2005
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 183100N
Event Location Longitude 0675600W
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 --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2000 Atlantic Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 270
Weather Observation Facility ID MDPC
Elevation of weather observation facility 47
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation AST
Lighting Conditions Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 2000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 6
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 28
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 20
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.94
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 18027
NTSB Notification Source FAA San Juan FSDO
NTSB Notification Date Mar 30 2005 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 920
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jul 7 2005 10:33AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office San Juan, Puerto Rico

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4767
NTSB Number MIA05LA088
Missing Aircraft Indicator Y
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire --
Aircraft Explosion --
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Schweizer
Aircraft Model 269D
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 0037A
Certified Max Gross Weight 2500
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 3
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 7 2004 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 146
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Waldemar Castro
Aircraft Owner Street Address 906 Ave. Roberto H. Todd
Aircraft Owner City San Juan
Aircraft Owner State PR
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 00907
Operator is an individual? No
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 None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MDPC
Departure City La Romana
Departure State --
Departure Country DR
Departure Time 1850
Departure Time Zone AST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SIG
Destination City San Juan
Destination State PR
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record May 13 2005 2:45PM
User who most recently changed record KENJ
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location NA
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --