Accident Sikorsky S-76A N54C,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 75234
 
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Date:Thursday 23 June 1988
Time:16:42
Type:Silhouette image of generic S76 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Sikorsky S-76A
Owner/operator:
Registration: N54C
MSN: 760116
Total airframe hrs:2466 hours
Engine model:ALLISON 250-C30
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Moundsville, WV -   United States of America
Phase: Take off
Nature:Unknown
Departure airport:Mining site Moundsville
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
HE HELICOPTER CONTACTED POWER LINES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM A MINE SITE. THE NOSE GEAR OF THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED AN UNINSULATED STATIC WIRE. THIS WIRE WAS STRUNG WITH ONE OTHER STATIC WIRE AND TWO BLACK INSULATED POWER LINES. BOTH CREW MEMBERS STATED THAT THEY SAW THE BLACK LINES AND BELIEVED THEIR RATE OF CLIMB WOULD ALLOW ADEQUATE CLEARANCE. AFTERHITTING THE FIRST SET OF LINES, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN A DESCENDING TURN AND THEN CONTACTED A SECOND SET OF POWER LINES ALONG WITH A POWER POLE. THE HELICOPTER THEN COLLIDED WITH A SWITCHING HOUSE AND CAME TO REST ALONGSIDE A EARTHEN SUPPLYSLOPE. NONE OF THE WIRES WERE MARKED. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE SILVER COLORED STATIC WIRES.


The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

VISUAL LOOKOUT..INADEQUATE..PILOT IN COMMAND
VISUAL LOOKOUT..INADEQUATE..COPILOT/SECOND PILOT

Contributing Factors:
OBJECT..WIRE,STATIC
PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION..INADEQUATE..PILOT IN COMMAND
VISUAL/AURAL PERCEPTION..PILOT IN COMMAND

Sources:

https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001213X25881&key=1&queryId=e1098e0d-1a88-4fc4-93d3-b540dca136fb&pgno=10&pgsize=200

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
21-Jun-2010 06:25 TB Added
15-Aug-2015 13:54 Aerossurance Updated [Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:25 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]

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