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NYC92FA123

1992-06-20 · MIDDLETOWN, Connecticut, United States · Fatal · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

N117HH has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (RAYTHEON CORPORATE JETS INC BAE 125-800A, built 1993), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

A WIRE STRIKE AFTER THE PILOT MADE A DECISION TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH INTO AN AREA OF HAZARDS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT AND THE HOSPITAL COMMUNICATOR TO REQUEST ALL AVAILABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LANDING AREA AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

Factual narrative

THE NORTHBOUND EMS HELICOPTER STRUCK AN UNMARKED STATIC WIRE 105 FT ABOVE THE GROUND, 1/4 MILE SOUTH OF HIS LANDING AREA. THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED UNCONTROLLABLY, STRIKING THE GROUND INVERTED, FATALLY INJURING ONE OCCUPANT. WHEN INTERVIEWED AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT REMEMBER THE ACCIDENT. WITNESSES SAID THE NIGHT WAS DARK WITH FOG BEGINNING TO FORM, AND NO ABRUPT MANEUVERS WERE OBSERVED PRIOR TO THE WIRE STRIKE. THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE PILOT HAD NOT MADE A RECON OF THE AREA, NOR HAD HE COMMUNICATED THAT HE HAD IDENTIFIED THE LANDING AREA WHEN THE WIRE STRIKE OCCURRED. THERE WERE NUMEROUS EMERGENCY VEHICLES IN THE AREA WITH RED AND BLUE FLASHING LIGHTS WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. ADDITIONALLY, NEITHER THE PILOT OR HOSPITAL COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR WHO TOOK THE REQUEST FOR THE HELICOPTER, HAD REQUESTED ANY HAZARD INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED LANDING AREA. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_NYC92FA123.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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