S.N.I.A.S. AS350D incident near Seattle, Washington, October 11, 1983
On October 11, 1983 at about 1:25 am local time, a S.N.I.A.S. AS350D (helicopter), registered N350GT, was involved in an incident near Seattle, Washington (Boeing Field). It was a personal 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. 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
- October 11, 1983 · about 1:25 am local time
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Boeing Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- S.N.I.A.S. AS350D
- Registration
- N350GT · no longer on the register · serial 1458
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT SUSTAINED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRINE SHAFT DUE TO FATIGUE FROM STRESS CORROSION PRECIPITATED BYPREVIOUS DAMAGE AT WHICH TIME NO LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS RECORDED TO INDICATE THAT THE SHAFT HAD BEEN INSPECTED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 370 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 4,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 265 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 12, 1983; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,190 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS 101-600A2 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 13
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 350° at 11 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Observation at 2:00 am from BFI, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.