- ACCIDENT DETAILS
Date: May 16, 1977
Time: 1735
Location: New York, New York
Operator: New York Helicopter
Flight #: ?
Route: Pan Am building - JFK Airport
AC Type: Sikorsky S61L
Registration: N619PA
cn / ln: 61427
Aboard: 25   (passengers:22  crew:3)
Fatalities: 4   (passengers:4  crew:0)
Ground: 1
Summary: While passengers were loading aboard the helicopter on top of the Pan Am building, the landing gear collapsed causing the helicopter to tip on its side. Four people, waiting to board the craft were killed by the rotating blades. One of the blades tore loose and struck a window breaking in two. One-half of the blade then sailed two blocks striking and killing a pedestrian, 800 feet below the heliport. Fatigue failure of the upper right forward fitting of the right main landing gear tube assembly. The fatigue originated from a small surface pit of undetermined source.
Sources

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