Sikorsky UH-19D accident near St. Augustine, Florida, August 25, 1992
On August 25, 1992 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Sikorsky UH-19D (helicopter), registered N37800, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Augustine, Florida. It was an other work-use flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE'S EXHAUST VALVE ROCKER ARM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1992 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- St. Augustine, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky UH-19D · all UH-19Ds on the register
- Registration
- N37800 · no longer on the register · serial 55-4944
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE WAS BEGINNING HIS EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATION, THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER AND HE WAS FORCED TO EXECUTE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. HE STATED THAT HE LANDED HARD IN THE UNIMPROVED AREA, AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF THE HARD LANDING. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT A ROCKER ARM FAILED, RESULTING IN THE SEIZURE OF THE EXHAUST VALVE IN THE OPEN POSITION.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 6,800 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 23, 1992; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Curtis Wright R-1300-3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 075° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:00 pm from CRG, 30 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N37800 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL92LA166.