Westland Helicopters Gazelle AH-MK1 accident near East Hampton, NY
On November 9, 2002, a Westland Helicopters Gazelle AH-MK1 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near East Hampton, NY. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 9, 2002
- Place
- East Hampton, NY
- Aircraft
- Westland Helicopters Gazelle AH-MK1 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.889°N, 72.269°W
- NTSB ID
- 20021126X05533
NTSB summary
On November 8, 2002, about 2325 eastern standard time, a Westland Helicopters Gazelle AH-MK1, N911XW, a former British military helicopter registered in the experimental category, was destroyed when it impacted the Atlantic Ocean near East Hampton, New York. The certificated private pilot was lost at sea, and presumed fatally injured. The helicopter departed Long Island-MacArthur Airport (ISP), Islip, New York, at 2304, and was destined for East Hampton Airport (HTO), East Hampton, New York. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to a report filed by the East Hampton Police Department, the pilot was expected home in Sag Harbor, New York on the evening of November 8, 2002. The pilot's wife was not immediately concerned when he did not arrive, because the pilot's business frequently caused his schedule to change. On the morning of November 9, 2002, the pilot's automobile was discovered parked at Long Island-MacArthur Airport, and debris from the helicopter was recovered from the beaches of East Hampton. A review of Air Traffic Control (ATC) voice and radar recordings revealed that the pilot contacted the Long Island-MacArthur ground controller at 2256, and requested a "punch-out to the west." He later repeated his intention to depart under visual flight rules (VFR) to the west. When the pilot contacted the tower controller, he requested and received a clearance to depart VFR to the west. A few minutes after takeoff, the tower controller requested a clarification from the
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude, which resulted in an in-flight collision with water. Factors included the pilot's decision to fly over water on a moonless night, his lack of experience in that environment, and the dark night lighting conditions.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
