NTSB CAROL · Event
Event SEA88FA167
Registry · N111VA
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
SIKORSKY S-55
Year of manufacture
1953 · 35 years old at event
TCDS
1H4 · CALIFORNIA HELICOPTER AIRWAYS INC
Engine
P&W R1340 SERIES (600 hp)
Seats / Engines
12 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19820329
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A031C6
Registrant of record
WEEKS KERMIT A
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED LOW CEILINGS, RAIN AND FOG WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY THROUGH A NARROW MOUNTAIN PASS AND SUCCESSFULLY REVERSED COURSE. HE THEN FLEW INTO A SMALL CANYON OFF THE MAIN PASS THAT TERMINATED IN A SMALL GLACIER-COVERED BOWL SURROUNDED BY STEEP ROCK WALLS. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT DURING A TURN TO REVERSE COURSE THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT SPACE TO COMPLETE THE MANEUVER BEFORE COLLISION WITH A ROCK WALL, THE PILOT RETARDED THE THROTTLES AND CRASH LANDED ON A GLACIER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1988_SEA88FA167.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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