Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Albert Lea Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Albert Lea, Minnesota 56007
Friday, August 19, 1994 15:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT OF A MEDICAL EVACUATION HELICOPTER WAS MANEUVERING THE HELICOPTER TO LAND ON THE AIRPORT RAMP TO PICK UP A PATIENT FROM THE AWAITING AMBULANCE. IN ORDER TO AVOID OVERFLYING TREES, A HANGAR, AND AN UNTIED AIRPLANE, THE PILOT EXECUTED A STEEP APPROACH AT LOW AIRSPEED WHILE SIDE SLIPPING THE HELICOPTER TO MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT ON A TRACK OF 175 DEGREES. WHEN THE PILOT BEGAN TO ADJUST THE COLLECTIVE TO ARREST HIS RATE OF DESCENT, AND SLOW HIS RATE OF CLOSURE, THE RPM DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN UNUSUAL NOISE ACCOMPANIED WITH AIRFRAME SHUTTERING. THE PILOT REDUCED COLLECTIVE PITCH AND LOWERED THE NOSE IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXECUTE A RUNNING LANDING TO A GRASS AREA ADJACENT TO THE INTENDED LANDING AREA. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND BOUNCED TWICE. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR CROSSTUBE COLLAPSED WHEN THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE SHOULDER OF THE TAXIWAY. A POST-IMPACT FIRE STARTED WITHIN 2 MINUTES, CONSUMING THE TOP OF THE CABIN. THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 310 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 20. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER AND ENGINES DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY MECHANICAL ANOMALIES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO EXECUTE THE PROPER APPROACH AND THE ENSUING SETTLING WITH POWER. FACTORS WERE THE TAILWIND, AND THE CONGESTION AROUND THE AIRPORT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/19/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1520 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | ALBERT LEA |
| Event State | MINNESOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 56007 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ALBERT LEA MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AEL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1256 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1520 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AEL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1256 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 20 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1470 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 19 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1745 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 25 2006 4:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\ZUZL |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N230EM |
| NTSB Number | FTW94FA274 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 230 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 230 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23011 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 8400 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 12 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 13 |
| Airframe Hours | 536 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | OMNIFLIGHT HELICOPTERS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4650 AIRPORT PARKWAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | DALLAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75248 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MAYO MEDICAL CENTER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1216 SECOND ST, SW. |
| Operator City | ROCHESTER |
| Operator State | MN |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 55902 |
| Operator Code | RMXA |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | RST |
| Departure City | ROCHESTER |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1454 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | AEL |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | MN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| 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 | Yes |
| Medical Flight | -- |