Aerospatiale SA-316B accident near Story, Wyoming, March 13, 1984
On March 13, 1984 at about 3:13 pm local time, a Aerospatiale SA-316B (helicopter), registered N8655, was substantially damaged in an accident near Story, Wyoming. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. 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 October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 1984 · about 3:13 pm local time
- Place
- Story, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale SA-316B
- Registration
- N8655 · registry record · serial 1728
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE DAY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PLT NOTED THAT THE FUEL GAGE INDICATED 30 TO 35 GAL REMAINING. HE ADDED 40 GAL & MADE A FLT OF ABOUT 15 MIN. ON THE NEXT DAY, HE NOTED THAT THE GAGE INDICATED ABOUT 40 GAL OF FUEL REMAINING. THE REPORTED FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS APRX 1 GAL/MIN. HE TOOK OFF WITHOUT REFUELING; HOWEVER, ABOUT 18 MIN LATER, THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, & SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ENG FLAMED OUT FROM FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PLT MADE AN AUTOROTATION, BUT THE HELICOPTER WAS DAMAGED DURING THE LANDING ON SNOW COVERED, MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. AN EXAM OF THE FLOAT TYPE FUEL QUANTITY GAGE REVEALED THAT IT WAS CORRODED. DUE TO THE CORROSION, THE FLOAT WOULD NOT FREELY MOVE UP & DOWN IN ITS HOUSING. THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT WAS ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO THE FUEL QUANTITY TRANSMITTER & SHOULD HAVE ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FUEL LEVEL DROPPED TO 60 LITRES (15.85 U.S. GAL). THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED ON WOODED TERRAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF 6480 FT.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,837 hours in all; 64 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 8,476 as pilot in command; 885 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,966 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 28, 1984; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,850 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARTOUSTE IIIB (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hawkins & Powers Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: SHR Sheridan WY at 2:55 pm
- Destination: Story WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from SHR, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 1 | 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.
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.