Aerospatiale SA-360C accident near New York, New York, September 22, 1984
On September 22, 1984 at about 8:28 pm local time, a Aerospatiale SA-360C (helicopter), registered N49533, was substantially damaged in an accident near New York, New York (E. 34Th St. Heliport airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 9 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
- September 22, 1984 · about 8:28 pm local time
- Place
- New York, New York · E. 34Th St. Heliport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale SA-360C
- Registration
- N49533 · no longer on the register · serial 1027
- 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
DURING APPROACH TO HELIPORT, THE PLT HEARD TWO LOUD 'POPS' FROM THE ENGINE. THE PLT ACTIVATED THE EMERGENCY FLOATS AND CONTINUED THE APPROACH. THE PLT STATED THAT THE 'POPPING', RECOGNIZED AS A COMPRESSOR STALL STARTED AGAIN ON FINAL. HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND THE ACFT DESCENDED RAPIDLY WHICH TERMINATED WITH A HARD LANDING. THE TAIL BOOM BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE MAIN BODY AND THE ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE VERTICAL FIN. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF THE REASON FOR THE COMPRESSOR STALL.
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
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,095 hours in all; 840 in this make and model; 163 in the last 90 days; 2,725 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,892 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, September 20, 1984; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,740 lb
- Seats: 14
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Turbomeca XV111A (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Island Helicopter CORP.
The flight
- Departed from: JFK Jamaica NY at 8:20 pm
- Runway 0, 304 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from LGA, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
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.