Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sines
Tuesady, March 2, 1999 18:25 GMT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On March 2, 1999, approximately 1825 local (Portugal) time, a Robinson R-44, registration CS-HEI, serial no. 0448, owned and operated by Heliportugal, and contracted for electronic news gathering by a national television news station, sustained substantial damage following a loss of engine power and autorotation. Daylight and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The commercially certificated pilot and the passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted under Portuguese CAA rules.
The pilot was flying the helicopter en route to the Heliportugal operations base at Casias Municipal Airport, following work in television news-gathering. At 1,300 feet mean sea level, in the vicinity of Sines, Portugal, the helicopter passed within 1,000 meters of the main lobe of a high frequency (HF), high energy broadcasting transmission antenna. The pilot reported that he suddenly noted strong interference in the intercommunications system and on the communication and navigation radios, followed by illumination of the low rotor RPM and clutch lights. He further noted that the engine noise dropped to idle level, and the engine and rotor RPM indications dropped. He lowered the collective immediately to maintain rotor RPM and entered into an autorotation. During the descent he adjusted the collective to keep the rotor RPM indication in the green arc. At approximately 200 feet, the engine responded to throttle input, and the engine accelerated rapidly, resulting in the engine and rotor RPM exceeding the upper limitations. The pilot landed successfully and there were no injuries. After landing, he noted that the lower rotor RPM and clutch lights were extinguished, and cockpit indications were normal. He then lifted off and flew the helicopter to base.
Visual examination found severe damage to the main rotor blades, which were removed and replaced. Examination found no electronic systems damage or other damage to the helicopter. The engine governor was removed and sent for laboratory examination relative to suspected severe electromagnetic and radio interference impinging upon engine and related systems.
The helicopter had 89:40 total flight hours at the time of the accident. Records showed that the next, 100 hour inspection, was due at 105:15 total hours.
The pilot had a total of 2,098 helicopter flight hours, including 30 hours in the R-44.
For further information, contact: Investigator-in-Charge, Frederico J. F. Serras, tel. 351-1-8423500, fax. -581, Lisbon. NTSB: U.S. Accredited Representative, Thomas R. Conroy, (202) 314-6314, Washington, D.C.; Engineering Investigator, Scott Warren
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/2/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1825 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | SINES |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Not Reported |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 0 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 10 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1215 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 20 2003 3:38PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\ZUZL |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | -- |
| NTSB Number | IAD99WA033 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Non-U.S., Non-Commercial |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Unknown |
| Aircraft Explosion | Unknown |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R-44 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | R-44 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Unknown |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | AERODROMO MUNICIPAL CASCAIS |
| Operator City | CASC., PORTUGAL |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | Unknown |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | CASCAIS, PORTUG |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 22 2001 3:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |