Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ukiah Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ukiah, California 95482
Wednesday, August 7, 1996 9:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter was being used on a training flight with a commercial rated (student) pilot and a flight instructor (CFI) aboard. During a straight-in autorotation, the student made a 'very gradual' flare and allowed the helicopter to descend to approximately 10 feet agl before she began rolling on the throttle. As she rolled on the throttle, she inadvertently made an abrupt aft cyclic control movement. The tail rotor and stinger then struck the ground before the CFI could regain control. The CFI stabilized the helicopter in about a 3 to 4 foot hover and noticed a vibration. As he was setting the helicopter down, the vibration became worse. During shutdown the tail rotor and tailrotor gearbox separated from the tailboom. The commercial (student) pilot's current qualification card had been issued with the provision that she receive additional training and take a reevaluation check ride. After the accident, the pilot spent 2 weeks with the Army National Guard, where she received additional training in the UH-1H helicopter. A conversation between the CDF safety officer and the National Guard instructor pilot indicated that the student continued to have difficulty with aircraft control.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the commercial/student pilot's improper/abrupt use of aft cyclic during the flare, and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/7/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 900 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | UKIAH |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95482 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | UKIAH MUNICIPAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | UKI |
| 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 | 614 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 900 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | UKI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 614 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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) | 1770 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 7 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1215 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N499DF |
| NTSB Number | LAX96TA298 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | UH-1H |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | UH-1H |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 71-20022 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10200 |
| 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 | 11 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 11 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 52 |
| Airframe Hours | 3742 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CALIFORNIA DEPT. OF FORESTRY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3841 BAZLEY WAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | MATHER |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95655 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | WILLITS |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 745 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | UKI |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 15 |
| Runway Length | 4415 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |