Summary
On November 03, 1989, a Sikorsky SK-70 (N23576) was involved in an accident near Marathon, FL. The accident resulted in 1 fatal injury, 2 minor injuries, with 3 people uninjured out of 6 aboard. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: 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.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ATL90GA023. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N23576.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
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.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ATL90GA023