Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Saipan Island
Sunday, January 12, 1997 15:58
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Shortly before 1510, the pilot started the helicopter's engine, then departed on a sightseeing tour flight around the island with two fare-paying passengers. The operator anticipated the flight would last between 0.5 and 0.7 hrs. For weight considerations, the fuel load had been reduced before takeoff by an estimated 10 gallons bringing the usable quantity to between 16 and 19 gallons, as estimated using a dipstick. About 1558, while cruising off shore & nearly parallel to the shoreline, witnesses observed the helicopter fly past while making sounds like its engine was sputtering, stalling, or cutting in and out. The helicopter's course remained unchanged, & seconds later, other witnesses heard a loud bang sound. The helicopter then entered a rapid descent, & impacted in about 2.5-foot-deep ocean water in front of a hotel where people were swimming. An exam of the wreckage revealed a main rotor blade had impacted & severed the tail rotor drive shaft. No evidence was found indicating the pilot had practiced autorotations in the Enstrom helicopter during the 4.5 months since becoming rotorcraft rated. During the structural airframe and engine examinations, no evidence was found of precipitating mechanical malfunctions. Calculations based on maximum anticipated fuel consumption rates, and approximations for the quantity of fuel on board, revealed fuel exhaustion could occur within 0.1 hour of the flight's duration.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, resulting from improper planning/decision; and the pilot's abrupt handling of the flight controls, while maneuvering to avoid swimmers, which resulted in main rotor blade contact with the tail boom. A related factor was: the presence of swimmers in the emergency landing area, which likely motivated the pilot to alter his approach for a forced/autorotative landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/12/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1558 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | SAIPAN ISLAND |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96950 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 340 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 630 GMT |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PGS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | GMT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 3 |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1310 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 11 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2310 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9087 |
| NTSB Number | LAX97FA086 |
| 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 | Enstrom |
| Aircraft Model | F28A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | F28A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 211 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 18 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 66 |
| Airframe Hours | 2267 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MICRONESIAN AVIATION CORP. INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 1160 KOBLERVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAIPAN |
| Aircraft Owner State | OF |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96950 |
| 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 | FCYA |
| 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 | PGSN |
| Departure City | KOBLERVILLE |
| Departure State | OF |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 510 |
| Departure Time Zone | GMT |
| 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 | Emergency landing |
| 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 | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |