Aerospatiale AS-350 accident near Caryville, Florida, July 6, 1994
On July 6, 1994 at about 2:29 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS-350 (helicopter), registered N901BA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Caryville, Florida. It was a ferry flight under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INTENTIONAL CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS PILOT FATIGUE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1994 · about 2:29 pm local time
- Place
- Caryville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS-350 · all AS-350s on the register
- Registration
- N901BA · registry record · serial 2452
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT DEPARTED TALLAHASSEE IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. THE CEILING WAS ESTIMATED 500-600 FT, RAGGED, AND VISIBILITY 3/4 TO 1-1/2 MI IN RAIN. OBSERVING TOWERS ABOUT 3/4 MI IN FRONT OF HIS FLIGHT PATH, HE REDUCED AIRSPEED, TURNED RIGHT TOWARDS A BORROW PIT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN OVER, AND ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN. VISIBILITY DROPPED TO ABOUT 1/2-1/4 MI, AND THE HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS. THE PILOT STARTED A DESCENT TO 200 FT AGL, REGAINED VISUAL FLIGHT CONDITIONS, SAW THE BORROW PIT, AND CONTINUED THE DESCENT WITH A FAST CLOSURE RATE. A DECELERATION DESCRIBED SIMILAR TO A QUICK STOP WAS INITIATED, AND THE TAILROTOR COLLIDED WITH THE WATER. THE HELICOPTER PITCHED FORWARD, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES COLLIDED WITH THE WATER, AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT CONCLUDED HIS JUDGMENT WAS IMPAIRED FROM FATIGUE DUE TO LACK OF SLEEP.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,968 hours in all; 680 in this make and model; 117 in the last 90 days; 63 in the last 30 days; 3,896 as pilot in command; 1,077 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,101 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 21, 1994; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,961 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 1D1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TLH Tallahasse FL at 2:42 pm
- Destination: CEW Crestview FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from TLH, 102 miles away
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.