Aerospatiale AS-355E accident near Strawberry, California, August 24, 1984
On August 24, 1984 at about 9:47 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS-355E (helicopter), registered N5787X, was destroyed in an accident near Strawberry, California. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1984 · about 9:47 pm local time
- Place
- Strawberry, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS-355E · all AS-355Es on the register
- Registration
- N5787X · no longer on the register · serial 5083
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS APPROACHING THE LANDING PAD WHEN THE PLT HEARD A LOUD NOISE & EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR CONTROL. HE LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL & THE HELICOPTER BEGAN SPINNING TO THE LEFT, STRUCK THE HELIPAD, ROLLED OVER & BURNED. THE ACFT WAS DEMOLISHED BY FIRE. DUE TO THE FIRE DAMAGE, THE EXACT PROBLEM WITH THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,287 hours in all; 2,039 in this make and model; 358 in the last 90 days; 9,906 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,940 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,628 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Rogers Helicopters INC
The flight
- Departed from: Angles Camp CA at 9:25 pm
- Destination: Strawberry CA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from SCK
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.
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.