Sikorsky S55B accident near Wanganui, Nz, August 29, 2000
On August 29, 2000 at about 9:32 am local time, a Sikorsky S55B (helicopter), registered ZKHSC, was destroyed in an accident near Wanganui. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under non-U.S. private rules. 1 person was killed. 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2000 · about 9:32 am local time · cases in 2000
- Place
- Wanganui, New Zealand
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S55B · all S55Bs on the register
- Registration
- ZKHSC · registered outside the United States
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · non-U.S. private rules
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
- Operator: Ba & Jc Emeny LTD.
The flight
- Departed from: OF
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 170° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 18 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 am from NZW
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- Sikorsky S-55 15 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Sikorsky 825 aircraft on the register
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA00WA262.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.