Sikorsky S-76B accident near Newport, Rhode Island, June 30, 1994
On June 30, 1994 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Sikorsky S-76B (helicopter), registered N76UT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newport, Rhode Island. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 failure of the left hand helical gear in the main gear box (MGB), due to undertorqued attaching bolts installed by the manufacturer, which resulted in a partial MGB failure. This failure resulted in the loss of the number one engine, illumination of the MGB chip light and a ditching to salt water on emergency floats.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 1994 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Newport, Rhode Island
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S-76B · all S-76Bs on the register
- Registration
- N76UT · no longer on the register · serial 760362
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DISCHARGING PASSENGERS ON AN ISLAND, THE S-76 HELICOPTER DEPARTED FOR A RETURN FLIGHT TO THE MAINLAND. ONE MINUTE AFTER TAKEOFF, AT 500 FEET ABOVE THE WATER, A VIBRATION FOLLOWED BY A LOUD BANG OCCURRED. THE MAIN GEAR BOX (MGB) CHIP LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE NUMBER ONE ENG DROPPED OFF LINE. A FORCED LANDING WAS INITIATED, THE EMERGENCY FLOATS WERE INFLATED AND A DITCHING TO WATER WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE NUMBER ONE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN, AND THE ACFT WAS WATER TAXIED ON THE SECOND ENG. AFTER A SECOND BANG WAS HEARD THE NUMBER TWO ENG WAS SHUT DOWN. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT HAND (NUMBER ONE ENG) HELICAL GEAR IN THE MGB, FAILED FROM FATIGUE CRACKS ACROSS THE 12 ATTACHING BOLT HOLES. THE TORQUE REQUIRED ON THE 12 NUTS WAS 4OO INCH POUNDS. THREE NUTS HAD LESS THEN 60 INCH LBS, THE REMAINING NINE HAD NO TORQUE. BOTH MGB OIL PUMPS WERE SEIZED FROM FOD THAT ENTERED THE PUMPS THROUGH AN ALTERNATE OIL PATH, THAT BY-PASSED THE OIL SCREENS. THE NUMBER TWO ENG PINION GEAR IN THE MGB, FAILED DUE TO OVERHEATING FROM THE LACK OF LUBRICATION. ELAPSED TIME WAS LESS THAN 6 MINUTES FROM INITIAL FORCED LANDING TO SECOND ENGINE SHUT DOWN.
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, commercial pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,972 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 26, 1994; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,700 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6B-36A (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RI21 Goat Island RI at 11:30 pm
- Destination: EHT East Hartford CT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:45 pm from OQU, 10 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N76UT 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.