Aerospatiale SA-319B accident near Jacksonville, Florida, May 7, 1982
On May 7, 1982 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Aerospatiale SA-319B (helicopter), registered N90825, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were 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
- May 7, 1982 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale SA-319B
- Registration
- N90825 · registry record · serial 2180
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT AND CREW WERE USING AN AIR AMBULANCE HELICOPTER WHILE PARTICIPATING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN A SIMULATED DISASTER DRILL. DURING THE DRILL, THE HELICOPTER TOOK OFF WITH TWO OTHER OCCUPANTS THAT HAD VOLUNTEERED TO ACT AS IMMOBILIZED PATIENTS. WITH THIS LOAD, IT WAS NECESSARY TO FLY WITH THE RIGHT CARGO DOOR OPEN. WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH ABOUT 600 FT AGL, A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS EXPERIENCED. THE PILOT SUSPECTED A LOSS OF THE TAIL ROTOR AND ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AT A HIGH RATE OF SINK AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT A STRAP, NORMALLY USED TO SECURE CARGO AND PATIENTS, HAD DEPARTED THE CABIN AREA THROUGH THE OPEN CARGO DOOR. THE STRAP HAD BECOME ENTANGLED ON THE TAIL ROTOR. ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WAS TORN OFF ABOUT FOUR INCHES FROM THE HUB.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,577 hours in all; 561 in this make and model; 149 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 5,299 as pilot in command; 790 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,544 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,950 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ASTA20-UX1VB (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Jacksonville FL
- Destination: Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 171°F (77°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:19 pm from CRG, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.