Sikorsky C54A incident near Anita Bay, Alaska, September 12, 1993
On September 12, 1993 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Sikorsky C54A (helicopter), registered N44094, suffered minor damage in an incident near Anita Bay, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE SEPARATION OF THE TURBINE BLADE FROM THE POWER TURBINE DISC.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 1993 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Anita Bay, Alaska · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky C54A
- Registration
- N44094 · no longer on the register · serial 421
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A #2 ENGINE FAILURE DURING A HOVER FOR LANDING WITH AN EXTERNAL LOAD. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED THAT THE POWER TURBINE DISC REMAINED INTACT. HOWEVER, ALL THE TURBINE BLADES WERE BENT, BROKEN, OR MISSING THE ENGINE CASE WAS SEVERED IN TWO PARTS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF THE POWER TURBINE. THE MANUFACTURER'S TBO WAS 1800 HRS. THE COMPANY HAD A MILITARY TBO EXTENSION, APPROVED BY THE FAA, TO 2100 HRS. THE ENGINE HAD A TOTAL TIME OF 2058 HRS AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,590 hours in all; 6,950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,180 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 42,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W T73-P1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Chet Rasberry, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N44094 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.