Bell B-222A accident near Staten Island, New York, July 17, 1986
On July 17, 1986 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Bell B-222A (helicopter), registered N404WW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Staten Island, New York. 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
- July 17, 1986 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Staten Island, New York
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell B-222A
- Registration
- N404WW · no longer on the register · serial 47045
- 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
THE HELICOPTER, ON A FAR 135 FLIGHT WAS IN CRUISE FLT AT 900 FT. THE PLT WAS CHECKING FOR CALLED VFR TRAFFIC AND THE CO-PILOT WAS OCCUPPIED WITH THE RNAV WHEN A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD AND A SUDDEN YAW WAS FELT. BOTH CREW MEMBERS STATED THEY REACTED AS INSTRUCTED AND IN THE PROCESS ANOTHER ENGINE FAILED. A WATER DITCHING WAS UNAVOIDABLE. INSPECTIONFAILED TO REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE #1 ENG. THE #2 ENG HAD A POWER TURBINE BLADE FAILURE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,260 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 3,935 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,245 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 24, 1986; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,850 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming LTS-101-650C3 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: New York NY at 2:47 pm
- Destination: Princeton NJ
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.