Sikorsky S76 accident near Rio De Janiero, Br, December 29, 2008
On December 29, 2008, a Sikorsky S76, registered PRIME, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rio De Janiero. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
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 October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2008
- Place
- Rio De Janiero, Brazil
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S76 A · all S76s on the register
- Registration
- PRIME · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On December 29, 2008, a Sikosky S-76 helicopter, Brazilian registration PR-IME, was substantially damaged by fire following a forced landing at Rio De Janiero, Brazil. The flight crew noted an AC generator light shortly after departure, and began a return to the airport. A fire indication followed. After landing, all occupants egressed the helicopter normally, and a fire was observed in the engine compartment. This accident is being investigated by the Brazilian CENIPA.
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
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
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.