Sikorsky CH-54A accident near Elko, Nevada, October 16, 1999
On October 16, 1999 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Sikorsky CH-54A (helicopter), registered N9125M, was involved in an accident near Elko, Nevada (Elko Municipal-J.C. Harri airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flight engineer's decision to climb a step ladder that put him in close proximity to the still turning main rotor blades. The gusting wind was a factor in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 1999 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Elko, Nevada · Elko Municipal-J.C. Harri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky CH-54A
- Registration
- N9125M · registry record · serial 68-18455
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the aircraft was shutting down, the flight engineer exited the aircraft, and gave the pilots the signal that the droop stops had engaged. He then climbed up on a stepladder next to the tail boom as the main rotor continued to coast down to a stop. A minute or so later, the two remaining crewmembers heard a 'thump.' The pilot-in-command (PIC) asked the copilot to go outside and find the source of the noise. When he walked toward the rear of the aircraft he found the flight engineer laying across the top of tail boom with a massive head injury. The main rotor of the Ch-54A is fully articulated. The rotor system employs a series of main rotor blade droop stops. As the rotor rpm slows, centripetal force is reduced and the droop stop springs pull the stops back into ground stop position. During spool down it can take 20 seconds or more for the first through sixth stop to move into the ground stop position. The visual strobe effect, caused by the turning rotor head, can make it appear that all the stops are in place when one or more stops still have not yet been fully repositioned. Winds were gusting up to 14 knots at the time of the shutdown. Gusting winds during shutdown can cause a slow turning rotor blade to suddenly flap down independently of the remaining blades.
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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 22,730 hours in all; 1,540 in this make and model; 193 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days; 14,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,766 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 14, 1999; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 42,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W JFTD 12A-4A (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YVY Tooele UT at 6:30 pm
- Destination: O52 Yuba City CA
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from EKO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 LAX00LA018.