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| Date: | Wednesday 18 January 1995 |
| Time: | 20:57 LT |
| Type: |  McDonnell Douglas MD 500E (369E) |
| Owner/operator: | City Of Tampa Police Dept |
| Registration: | N4TP |
| MSN: | 0129E |
| Year of manufacture: | 1986 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5065 hours |
| Engine model: | ALLISON 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Tampa, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
POLICE OFFICERS OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER IN THE VICINITY OF A BRIDGE CONDUCTING AN OVER WATER SEARCH FOR A DROWNING VICTIM. THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED TO START A LEFT DESCENDING TURN AND CONTINUED IN THE DESCENT UNTIL THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE WATER. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE DESCRIBED AS VERY DARK WITH LIGHT WIND. THE ONLY VISIBLE LIGHT WAS THAT EMANATING FROM THE BRIDGE.
Probable Cause: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL AS A RESULT OF BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED WHILE MANEUVERING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DARK NIGHT WITH NO VISIBLE HORIZON.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB MIA95GA062
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 31-May-2023 04:58 | Ron Averes | Updated |
| 09-Apr-2024 16:56 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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