Sikorsky S-55B accident near Valdosta, Georgia, June 16, 1988
On June 16, 1988 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Sikorsky S-55B (helicopter), registered N6489, was substantially damaged in an accident near Valdosta, Georgia. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 1988 · about 3:00 pm local time · cases in 1988
- Place
- Valdosta, Georgia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S-55B · all S-55Bs on the register
- Registration
- N6489 · no longer on the register · serial 55270
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,800 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 1988; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R-1300-3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6489: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Sikorsky S-55 15 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Sikorsky 825 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Wright R-1300-3D 1 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,806 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ATL88DKG08.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.