Aerospatiale AS350D incident near Long Beach, California, July 20, 1989
On July 20, 1989 at about 6:23 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS350D (helicopter), registered N143EH, suffered minor damage in an incident near Long Beach, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1989 · about 6:23 pm local time
- Place
- Long Beach, California · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350D · all AS350Ds on the register
- Registration
- N143EH · no longer on the register · serial 1450
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ABOUT 15 MINUTES INTO HIS OVER WATER FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED. THE FLOATS WERE DEPLOYED AND A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION WAS MADE IN THE OCEAN. THE DRIVE SPLINES ON THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF EXCESSIVE ASYMMETRICAL WEAR AND THE ENGINE ACCESSORY DRIVE GEAR THAT DROVE THE FUEL PUMP SPLINES WAS EXCESSIVELY WORN. THE EXCESSIVE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE GEAR AND SPLINE PERMITTED SLIPPAGE IN THE FUEL PUMP DRIVE SYSTEM.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,190 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS-101-600A2 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Avalon CA at 6:08 pm
- Destination: Long Beach CA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:50 pm from LGB, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 4 |
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.