Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lakeland, Florida 33811
Thursday, January 13, 1994 12:30 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND WAS MANEUVERING BETWEEN 500 TO 600 FEET AGL, AT 70 MPH, WHEN THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A HIGH SIDE GOVERNOR FAILURE. HE RETARDED THE FUEL CONTROL LEVER (F.F.C.) AFT TO THE FLIGHT IDLE POSITION AND NOTED NO CHANGE. HE THEN MOVED THE THROTTLE TO THE OFF POSITION, TURNED THE FUEL CONTROL VALVE OFF, AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD WHILE MANEUVERING IN THE DESCENT TO AVOID POWER LINES. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ON ITS LEFT SIDE DURING THE LANDING. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY THE FAA AND THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THE PILOT'S DIAGNOSIS OF A HIGH SIDE GOVERNOR FAILURE. THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL FOR A GOVERNOR FAILURE STATES, SLOWLY MOVE THE F.F.C. LEVER REARWARDS UNTIL ROTOR SPEED CORRESPONDS TO A POSITION OF THE INDICATOR POINTER IN THE CENTER OF THE GREEN AREA. THE MANUAL DOES NOT STATE THAT IN ORDER TO MODULATE THE FUEL FLOW, THE F.F.C. LEVER MUST GO BELOW THE FLIGHT IDLE POSITION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL FOR GOVERNOR MALFUNCTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS INADEQUATE WRITTEN PROCEDURES IN THE FLIGHT MANUAL BY THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/13/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | LAKELAND |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33811 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| 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 | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1252 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TPA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 27 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 900 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 301 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 13 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1231 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:25AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N902BA |
| NTSB Number | MIA94LA050 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS-350 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1414 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4300 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 26 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 81 |
| Airframe Hours | 4343 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RTS HELICOPTER SERVICES CORP |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 39 BROADWAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | NEW YORK |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 10006 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BULLDOG AIRLINES INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 601 MAIN STREET |
| Operator City | LAS VEGAS |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 89101 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | ORLANDO |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1150 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| 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 | -- |