Sikorsky CH-54A accident near Elko, NV
On October 16, 1999, a Sikorsky CH-54A (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Elko, NV. 1 person died.
- Date
- October 16, 1999
- Place
- Elko, NV
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky CH-54A · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- —
- Position
- 40.950°N, 115.789°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X19991
NTSB summary
On October 16, 1999, at 1410 hours Pacific daylight time, a Sikorsky CH-54A, N9125M, was shutting down at Elko, Nevada, when the flight engineer was struck by a main rotor blade. The aircraft was not damaged. The airline transport pilot or his copilot was not injured; however, the flight engineer received fatal injuries. The aircraft was being operated as a positioning flight by Siller Brothers, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight originated in Tooele, Utah, at 1230, and was en route to Yuba City, California, with a planned fuel stop in Elko. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a company flight plan was filed. According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) State Aviation Manager for the state of Nevada, while the aircraft was being shutdown the flight engineer exited the aircraft. He then gave the pilots the signal that the droop stops had engaged, and then climbed up on a stepladder next to the tail boom. A minute or so later, the two remaining crewmembers heard a "thump." The pilot-in-command (PIC) asked the copilot to go outside and find the source of the noise. When he walked toward the rear of the aircraft, he found the flight engineer lying across the top of tail boom with a massive head injury. He returned to the cockpit and informed the PIC that the flight engineer was injured. The PIC called the tower, requesting immediate emergency medical aid. Emergency medical personnel who responded concluded that the flight engineer had been struck in the back of the head by a main rotor blade. The main rotor head of the C
Probable cause
the flight engineer's decision to climb a step ladder that put him in close proximity to the still turning main rotor blades. The gusting wind was a factor in the accident.
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Browse: Nevada · Sikorsky aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
