Aerospatiale SA316B accident near West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, November 13, 1982
On November 13, 1982 at about 2:55 pm local time, a Aerospatiale SA316B (helicopter), registered N72590, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Mifflin, Pennsylvania (Allegheny County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 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
- November 13, 1982 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- West Mifflin, Pennsylvania · Allegheny County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale SA316B
- Registration
- N72590 · no longer on the register · serial 1509
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT TURNED AIRCRAFT INTO THE WIND TO PERFORM POWER CHECK. APPROXIMATELY 3-5 FT ABOVE THE GROUND THE PILOT REPORTEDLY BEGAN RECEIVING FEEDBACK THROUGH THE CYCLIC. MODERATE THEN SEVERE VIBRATION OF THE AIRFRAME WAS REPORTED. AIRCRAFT YAWED 90 DEGREES LEFT AND THE PILOT LOWERED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE GROUND. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES, TAILBOOM, VERTICAL FINS, TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT AND TAIL ROTOR.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,381 hours in all; 970 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 6,332 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,132 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARTTOUSTE III (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Pittsburgh PA at 9:40 am
- Destination: Pittsburgh PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N72590 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.