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| Date: | Monday 14 June 1999 |
| Time: | 22:08 LT |
| Type: |  Sikorsky S-76A |
| Owner/operator: | Petroleum Helicopters |
| Registration: | N2743E |
| MSN: | 760155 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1981 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10721 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250 C30S |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Jackson, KY -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Jackson, KY (KJKL) |
| Lexington, KY (37KY) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The S-76A departed on a positioning flight with two pilots and two medical personnel onboard. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed with prevailing visibility less than 1/4 mile. The departure airport was 1,381 feet MSL. After becoming airborne, as it passed through 1,600 feet, the helicopter entered a descending left turn which terminated on the side of a hill, about 1,000 feet elevation. The CVR recorded the pilot calling out the descending turn to the co-pilot who was flying, but the co-pilot did not acknowledge the pilot's call. Additionally, the pilot did not take control of the helicopter from the co-pilot, and he did not acknowledge the co-pilot's comment about a possible gyro failure, or answer the co-pilots question about the pilot taking control of the helicopter. No evidence a pre-existing failure or malfunction was found with the helicopter. According to the company operations manual, the minimum visibility for an instrument departure was 1/4 mile. Both pilots had failed upgrades in the preceding year, but had passed their respective 6 month IFR checks with no problems noted.
Probable Cause: the failure of the PIC to adequately supervise the SIC, and maintain a positive climb. Factors were the fog and dark night.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC99FA140
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 12-Jun-2010 11:46 | TB | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, ] |
| 15-Aug-2015 12:28 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Phase, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 14-Dec-2017 08:27 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 08-Apr-2024 05:27 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
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