Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mcdonnell Douglas Helipor Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mesa, Arizona 85205
Tuesady, September 27, 1994 20:43 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A TEST HELICOPTER (MCDONNELL DOUGLAS AH-64D, WITH 1 VHF RADIO) AND A CHASE HELICOPTER (MCDONNELL DOUGLAS 520N, WITH 2 VHF RADIOS) WERE ON A NIGHT VFR FLIGHT FROM CHANDLER, AZ, TO THE MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELIPORT AT MESA, AZ. THE MISSION OF THE CHASE CREW (CHASE) WAS TO SURVEIL THE AREA FOR THE TEST CREW (LEAD) AND TO PROVIDE INFORMATION CONCERNING OTHER AIR TRAFFIC OR HAZARDS. THE DESTINATION HELIPORT WAS LOCATED JUST NORTH OF FALCON FIELD. DURING ARRIVAL, LEAD NOTIFIED CHASE OF A VHF FREQUENCY CHANGE TO THE FALCON FIELD TOWER (ATCT) FREQUENCY. CHASE ACKNOWLEDGED; THIS WAS THE LAST KNOWN TRANSMISSION FROM CHASE. LEAD THEN CHANGED TO THE HELIPORT'S 'APACHE RAMP CONTROL' FREQUENCY. THE GROUND CONTROL RADIO OPERATOR, MONITORING THE FREQUENCY, CLEARED THE HELICOPTER(S) TO LAND ON RUNWAY 22 AT THE HELIPORT. SOON THEREAFTER, THE CHASE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE LEAD HELICOPTER. DURING THE MIDAIR COLLISION, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES OF CHASE STRUCK THE LEFT WING AND WING STORES OF LEAD. LEAD CONTINUED TO A SAFE LANDING, BUT THE MAIN ROTOR SEPARATED FROM THE CHASE HELICOPTER, AND IT CRASHED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE CHASE HELICOPTER HAD CONVERGED ON THE LEAD HELICOPTER FROM THE LEFT REAR QUADRANT. AN EXPLETIVE OF AN UNKNOWN SOURCE WAS TRANSMITTED ON THE ATCT FREQUENCY AT ABOUT THE TIME OF THE MIDAIR COLLISION. TESTS OF THE RADIOS FROM THE CHASE HELICOPTER REVEALED THEY WERE BOTH ON THE ATCT FREQUENCY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE CHASE HELICOPTER PILOT TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE LEAD HELICOPTER DURING A NIGHT APPROACH TO LAND. POSSIBLE FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, AND INADEQUATE RADIO COORDINATION BETWEEN FLIGHT CREWS OF THE TWO HELICOPTERS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/27/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2043 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | MESA |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85205 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELIPOR |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AZ81 |
| 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 | 1370 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2056 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 248 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PHX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1133 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| 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 | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2075 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 27 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2315 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N520NT | R0324 |
| NTSB Number | LAX94FA383A | LAX94FA383B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS |
| Aircraft Model | 520N | AH-64D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 520N | AH-64D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | F-12 | PV270 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3350 | 23000 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | Military |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 17 1994 12:00AM | Sep 23 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 28 | 8 |
| Airframe Hours | 1829 | 317 |
| ELT Installed | No | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER | US ARMY, AVN & TRP CMD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5000 E. MCDOWELL | 4300 GOODFELLOW BLVD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | MESA | ST LOUIS |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85215 | 63120 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5000 E. MCDOWELL | |
| Operator City | MESA | |
| Operator State | AZ | |
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | 85205 | |
| Operator Code | ||
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown | 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 | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | IWA | IWA |
| Departure City | CHANDLER | CHANDLER |
| Departure State | AZ | AZ |
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 2028 | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | AZ81 | AZ81 |
| Destination City | ||
| Destination State | AZ | |
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 22 | 22 |
| Runway Length | 1650 | 1650 |
| Runway Width | 100 | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |