ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37022
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| Date: | Thursday 2 November 1989 |
| Time: | 21:30 |
| Type: |  Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk |
| Owner/operator: | US Customs Service |
| Registration: | 81-23576 |
| MSN: | 70-297 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | off Marathon, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Homestead AFB, FL (HST) |
| (HST) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A NIGHT LAW ENFORCEMENT MISSION over THE OCEAN NR MARATHON, FL. AFTER TKOF, THE PIC NOTED THE RADARALTIMETER NEEDLE, WHICH ACTIVATED THE LOW ALT WARNING, WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL, THOUGH THE DIGITAL DISPLAY & COPLT'S RADAR ALTIMETER WERE OPERATING NORMALLY. AFTER ENTERING THE MISSION AREA, THE PIC BGN RANDOM MNVRS WITH THE ALT VARYING BTN 200 & 300 FT ABV THE WATER. THERE WAS AN ESTD 1000 FT OVC SKY COND WITH NO VISIBLE HRZN. BOTH PLTS WERE WEARING NIGHT VISION GOGGLES. THE COPLT OPERATED THE SEARCH LIGHT & WAS TO MONITOR THE INSTS. WHILE MNVRG TO KEEP A BOAT IN VIEW, THE HELICOPTER BGN DSCNDG & CONTACTED THE WATER. IMMEDIATELY, THE CABIN FILLED WITH WATER. ALL OF THE OCCUPANTS EGRESSED SUCCESSFULLY FM THE HELICOPTER, EXCEPT THE COPLT, WHO PRESUMABLY DROWNED. THE PIC & 2 OF THE OTR CREWMEMBERS WERE NOT INJURED; THE REMAINING 2 RCVD MINOR INJURIES. AN AGENCY OPNS HANDBOOK DISCUSSED HAZARDS/INCIDENTS, BUT NO MISSION RISK ASSESSMENT PROGRAM WAS IN PLACE FOR MANAGEMENT TO ADEQUATELY IDENTIFY THE LEVEL OF RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPN. CAUSE: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER ALTITUDE OVER THE OCEAN WATER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE HELICOPTER WITH A KNOWN PARTIAL DEFICIENCY OF THE RADIO ALTIMETER/WARNING SYSTEM, DARKNESS, THE PILOT'S LACK OF VISUAL PERCEPTION, FAILURE OF THE COPILOT TO ADEQUATELY MONITOR THE HELICOPTER'S ALTITUDE ABOVE THE WATER, AND INSUFFICIENT MANAGEMENT STANDARDS TO IDENTIFY INORDINATE FLIGHT RISKS.
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001213X29736
scramble.nl
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 05-Mar-2010 12:23 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source] |
| 05-Mar-2010 12:30 | TB | Updated [Location] |
| 05-Mar-2010 13:18 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type] |
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