Sikorsky S-55
15 on the U.S. register across 3 versions the FAA records separately. Built from 1952 to 1959; half of them date from 1955 or earlier. Kentucky has the most (9). 67% are registered to companies, flight schools, clubs and other organisations; the rest to individuals, who are not named here at this time.
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About the S-55 from the FAA's model table
- Type
- Rotorcraft · Helicopters
- Power
- Turboshaft, 1 engine
- Common engines
- Wright C7Ba Series (4), Airesearch Tse331 Series (3), Wright R-1300 Ser (2)
- Fuel
- 100LL avgas (62%), Jet A (38%)Unleaded: car gasoline under STC SH1523SO
- Seats
- 12
- Cruise speed
- about 71 mph
- Built of
- aluminium
- Maker on the register
- Sikorsky
- Registered
- earliest certificate November 7, 2011; newest November 30, 2022
Where they are owner's state
Who owns them registrant type
By owner type, as a table
| aircraft | share | |
|---|---|---|
| LLC | 10 | 67% |
| Individual | 5 | 33% |
Versions as the FAA records them · click one to list only those aircraft
Airworthiness certificate class
By airworthiness certificate, as a table
| aircraft | share | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 5 | 33% |
| Multiple | 5 | 33% |
| Restricted | 3 | 20% |
| None on file | 2 | 13% |
Biggest operators companies, schools and clubs
Largest fleets, as a table
| aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Sierra Aeronautics LLC | 9 |
| N2302F LLC | 1 |
Fleet pages: Sierra Aeronautics LLC
Accident history NTSB records · 15 cases since 1982, 2 fatal
The 8 most recent of 15 cases where the NTSB's make and model match this family's versions. Each aircraft's own page also shows its record. How this model compares with others, with the fleet taken into account: Accidents by model in Aviation Analytics.
Questions people ask answers refresh every morning
How many Sikorsky S-55 aircraft are registered in the U.S.?
15 as of November 9, 2026, counting 3 versions the FAA records separately.
Which state has the most Sikorsky S-55s?
Kentucky, with 9.
Who owns the Sikorsky S-55?
67% are registered to companies, flight schools, clubs and other organisations; the rest to individuals and co-owners, who are not named on this site at this time.
When were the Sikorsky S-55s on the register built?
Between 1952 and 1959; half of them in 1955 or earlier.
How many Sikorsky S-55 accidents has the NTSB recorded?
15 accidents and incidents since 1982, 2 of them fatal. A model flown more shows more; the accident analytics compare models per thousand registered.
What is the Sikorsky S-55 made of?
The airframe is aluminium: sheet metal over a riveted frame, the way most aircraft have been built since the 1940s. The FAA's type certificate data sheet is the authority for any one model.
What the FAA has certified, ordered and been told about the Sikorsky S-55 the component layer
The airframe is aluminium: sheet metal over a riveted frame, the way most aircraft have been built since the 1940s. The FAA has issued 19 airworthiness directives (orders that owners must comply with) that name this model, most of them about rotorcraft systems. Operators and repair shops have filed 3 failure reports with the FAA since 2000, 1 of them in the last ten years: about 6.7 a year for every 100 aircraft on the register; the system most often named is fuel system. 18 approved modifications exist for it, the most by Orlando Heli Airways INC.
FAA orders 19 airworthiness directives · newest first
All orders naming the Sikorsky S-55
By system
Orders by system, as a table
| orders | share | |
|---|---|---|
| Rotorcraft systems | 7 | 37% |
| Other and general | 5 | 26% |
| Airframe structure | 3 | 16% |
| Flight controls | 3 | 16% |
| Engine | 1 | 5% |
Failure reports 3 since 2000 · what operators and shops told the FAA
Failure reports by year, as a table
| reports | |
|---|---|
| 00 | 2 |
| 11 | 1 |
By system
Failure reports by system, as a table
| reports | share | |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 1 | 33% |
| Rotorcraft systems | 1 | 33% |
| Airframe structure | 1 | 33% |
Parts most often reported as the reports name them
Latest reports
Approved replacement parts 15 parts manufacturer approvals
Parts a company other than the maker may make for this design and sell as FAA-approved. The companies holding the most:
Most often: pocket (6), inverter (2), cone (2), weighing system (1), weigh system (1), mount (1), model cargo (1), electric driven (1).
Approved modifications 18 supplemental type certificates
Changes the FAA has approved for this design, from new avionics and engines to floats and parachutes. The companies holding the most:
Latest
Sources: the FAA's type certificate data sheets, airworthiness directives, supplemental type certificates, special conditions and special airworthiness information bulletins (Dynamic Regulatory System), and the FAA's service difficulty reports. A failure report is what an operator or repair station chose to file; the counts show reporting as much as reliability, and larger and commercial fleets report more. How the systems are grouped.
Connections how the S-55 links to the rest of the register
- Sikorsky 825 aircraft on the register
- Sikorsky S-55B 9 registered
- Sikorsky S-55 3 registered
- Sikorsky S55B 3 registered
- Type certificate 1H4 · held by California Helicopter Airways INC
- Built of aluminium
- Wright C7BA series 4 of these aircraft · 800 hp
- AiResearch (Honeywell) TSE331 series 3 of these aircraft · 800 hp
- Wright R-1300 series 2 of these aircraft · 700 hp
- Wright R-1300-3D 1 of these aircraft · 800 hp
- Pratt & Whitney R1340 series 1 of these aircraft · 600 hp
- Kentucky 9 of these aircraft
- Washington 1 of these aircraft
- Oregon 1 of these aircraft
- Oklahoma 1 of these aircraft
- New Jersey 1 of these aircraft
- Sierra Aeronautics LLC 9 of these aircraft
- N2302F LLC 1 of these aircraft
- NTSB accidents and incidents involving the S-55 15 cases since 1982 · 2 fatal
- FAA orders naming the S-55 19 airworthiness directives
- Failure reports filed on the S-55 3 reports since 1995
- Approved modifications for the S-55 18 supplemental type certificates
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/model/sikorsky/s-55.json.
Aircraft newest certificates first · 15
| Tail no. | Maker and model | Owner and base | Certificate | Registered | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N855DB | Sikorsky S-55B |
Individual owner Washington |
None on file | 2022-11-30 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N2300Z | Sikorsky S-55 |
Individual owner Georgia |
Multiple | 2021-12-11 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N155GW | Sikorsky S-55B |
Sierra Aeronautics LLC Franklin, Kentucky |
Multiple | 2021-10-07 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N5663 | Sikorsky S-55B |
Sierra Aeronautics LLC Franklin, Kentucky |
Restricted | 2021-10-07 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N1255T | Sikorsky S55B |
Sierra Aeronautics LLC Franklin, Kentucky |
Standard | 2021-09-21 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N24111 | Sikorsky S-55B |
Sierra Aeronautics LLC Franklin, Kentucky |
Multiple | 2021-09-21 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N2650M | Sikorsky S-55B |
Sierra Aeronautics LLC Franklin, Kentucky |
Multiple | 2021-09-21 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N31611 | Sikorsky S-55B |
Sierra Aeronautics LLC Franklin, Kentucky |
Restricted | 2021-09-21 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N616Z | Sikorsky S55B |
Sierra Aeronautics LLC Franklin, Kentucky |
None on file | 2021-09-21 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N752A | Sikorsky S-55 |
Sierra Aeronautics LLC Franklin, Kentucky |
Restricted | 2021-09-21 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N855TC | Sikorsky S55B |
Sierra Aeronautics LLC Franklin, Kentucky |
Standard | 2021-09-21 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N443FD | Sikorsky S-55B |
Individual owner New Jersey |
Standard | 2020-07-13 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N2302F | Sikorsky S-55B |
N2302F LLC Salem, Oregon |
Multiple | 2019-05-15 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N17376 | Sikorsky S-55B |
Individual owner Oklahoma |
Standard | 2019-03-26 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |
| N111VA | Sikorsky S-55 |
Individual owner Florida |
Standard | 2011-11-07 | ValidFAA registration status code V: Valid registration. All codes |