Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
East 34Th Street Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
New York, New York 10016
Friday, June 17, 2005 16:38 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While facing west on a crowded urban heliport on the leeward side of tall buildings that blocked westerly winds of 15 knots gusting to 23 knots, the pilot executed a rearward takeoff in calm winds slightly above the maximum gross weight of the helicopter. Once clear of the heliport and while out-of ground-effect, the pilot executed a right pedal turn for a north departure over the water, and lowered the nose to initiate an acceleration. Simultaneously the helicopter encountered a left quartering tailwind that was originally blocked by the tall buildings. The helicopter began to settle, and contacted the water. While executing the right pedal turn to transition to forward flight, the pilot noticed an audible "degrading" of the rotor rpm, and the N1 in the "yellow." During interviews with the flight crew, neither pilot could articulate what the maximum allowable gross weight was for the environmental conditions. Each pilot could only say the helicopter was "good" for the takeoff. According to performance data, the maximum gross weight for takeoff was 11,700 pounds, but the data didn't provide a means for calculating power margins. Prior to flying into the heliport on the day of the accident, the pilots had the helicopter was fueled to capacity. This decision was based on picking up five passengers instead of the six that actually boarded. Aware of the additional passenger and without conducting any additional performance planning, the pilot attempted the departure. Prior to contacting the water, the crew experienced uncommanded pitch and roll oscillations, and high levels of vibration consistent with settling with power. Examination of the wreckage, post accident engine runs, and testing of the digital engine control units revealed no preimpact anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An inadvertent encounter with a left quartering tailwind. Factors in the accident were settling with power, the high gross weight of the helicopter, and the crew's failure to accurately assess the winds in the area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/17/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1638 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | New York |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 10016 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 404436N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0735818W |
| Event Location Airport | EAST 34TH STREET |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 6N5 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 10 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1651 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LGA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 22 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 21 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.69 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KLGA 172051Z 27017G21KT 10SM FEW060 BKN100 2 |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 7 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 8 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21460 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 17 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 29 2007 12:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Farmingdale, NY |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N317MY |
| NTSB Number | IAD05MA078 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Sikorsky |
| Aircraft Model | S-76C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 460 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 11700 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 2412 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Corporate Aviation, LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 142 Old Churchman's Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | New Castle |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19720 |
| 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) | Executive/Corporate |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 6N5 |
| Departure City | NEW YORK |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1638 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ILG |
| Destination City | WILMINGTON |
| Destination State | DE |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Hover - out of ground effect |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 5 2007 11:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MUZD |
| 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 | -- |