Piasecki Acft. Corp. HELISTAT 97-34J accident near Lakehurst, New Jersey, July 2, 1986
On July 2, 1986, a Piasecki Acft. Corp. HELISTAT 97-34J (helicopter), registered N1897Z, was destroyed in an accident near Lakehurst, New Jersey (Lakehurst Naec airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed, 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. 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 2, 1986
- Place
- Lakehurst, New Jersey · Lakehurst Naec
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed, 3 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piasecki Acft. Corp. HELISTAT 97-34J HELISTAT 9
- Registration
- N1897Z · no longer on the register · serial 0001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELISTAT, A HYBRID A/C WITH 4 H-34 MAIN FUSELAGES ATTACHED TO A FRAME ALONG WITH A ZPG-2 HELIUM FILLED ENVELOPE HAD JUST COMPLETED IT FIRST HOVER TEST FLT SUCCESSFULLY AND LANDED. A PWR LOSS WAS NOTED ON THE NO. 3 HELICOPTER AND THE TEST WAS TERMINATED AND THE MOORING MAST CALLED FOR. PRIOR TO RE-MOORING A WIND SHIFT CAUSED AN UNCOMMANDED LEFT TURN WHICH THE PILOT COULD NOT CONTROL WITH THE FLT CONTROLS. WITH A TAILWIND, NO WHEEL BRAKES OR GND STEERING A TAKEOFF WAS ATTEMPTED. THE 4 MAIN LANDING GEAR WHICH HAD NO SHIMMY DAMPNERS STARTED TO SHIMMY. THE FOUR HELICOPTERS STARTED TO REACT TO THE SHIMMY WITH GROUND RESONANCE. AS THE HELISTAT FINALLY LIFTED OFF, THE FOUR INDIVIDUAL HELICOPTERS BROKE OFF AND FELL TO THE GROUND. ONE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES, 3 RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND ONE MINOR INJURIES. THE HELISTAT WAS DESTROYED. THE PRW LOSS ON THE NO. 3 HELICOPTER WAS TRACED TO A MISSING THROTTLE LINKAGE CORRELATION PIN. WHY THE PIN WAS MISSING WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 20,500 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, July 1, 1986; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 111,917 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R-1820-84C (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:02 am from KNEL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 3 | 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.