Aerospatiale AS-350D accident near Spring Valley, New York, February 22, 1989
On February 22, 1989 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS-350D (helicopter), registered N5793P, was destroyed in an accident near Spring Valley, New York (Spring Valley Heliport airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE FAA FLIGHT EXAMINER (F/E) TO FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES CONCERNING THE AUTOROTATION, AND IMPROPER REMEDIAL ACTION BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: LACK OF INFORMATION IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL CONCERNING AUTOROTATIONS, THE FLIGHT EXAMINER'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE SOFT TERRAIN AND MOUND OF DIRT (DIRT BANK) IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 1989 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Spring Valley, New York · Spring Valley Heliport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS-350D · all AS-350Ds on the register
- Registration
- N5793P · no longer on the register · serial 1476
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIC & AN FAA EXAMINER (F/E) WERE ON A PART 135 CHECK FLT. ABT 900' TO 1000' AGL, THE F/E INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION (A/R) WITH INTENTIONS OF A PWR RECOVERY, ALTHO NO PROCEDURE FOR PERFORMING PWR RECOVERY FM AN A/R WAS PUBLISHED IN THE FLT MANUAL (F/M). HE INITIATED THE A/R BY MOVG THE FUEL FLOW CONTROL/POWER LEVER (FFC) OUT OF THE FULL FWD (PWR LOCKED) PSN. AT ABT 400' AGL & 65 KTS, THE FFC WAS PSND BACK TO THE FULL FWD (DETENT) PSN. AT ABT 65' AGL, THE PIC INITIATED A FLARE WITH COLLECTIVE PITCH CTL, BUT THE ENG LACKED RESPONSE. THE PIC CONTD THE A/R TO TOUCHDOWN ON SOFT TRRN. DRG THE LNDG, THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A MOUND OF DIRT, BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES SEPD, THEN THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ON ITS RGT SIDE & CAME TO REST. INV REVEALED THE GOVERNOR ANTICIPATOR WOULD NOT HAVE ACTIVATED UNTIL COLLECTIVE PITCH WAS APPLIED & THE ENG COULD TAKE UP TO 9 SEC TO SPOOL UP. F/M ADDRESSED ONLY FULL STOP (A/R) LNDGS. MANUAL FOR AEROSPATIALE INSTRUCTORS RESTRICTED PWR RCVRY TO 200' AGL. NO MECH STOP WAS PROVIDED TO KEEP THE ENG FM GOING BLO 50% DRG PWR RDCN FOR A/R.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,194 hours in all; 1,538 in this make and model; 67 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 5,806 as pilot in command; 142 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,161 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 8, 1988; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS-101 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTEB Teterboro NJ at 3:58 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N5793P 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.