Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Cullman Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cullman, Alabama 35055
Friday, March 28, 1997 16:45 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight instructor and student pilot remained in closed traffic in order to perform practice maneuvers and emergency procedure training to include autorotations. Witnesses saw the helicopter take off to the west and turn immediately to the right, climb to an altitude of 30 feet above ground level (AGL), and attain an estimated forward airspeed of 20 to 30 knots. The helicopter was then observed in a descent and disappear out of view before the witnesses heard the sound of impact with the ground. Several of the witnesses stated that just prior to impact they heard what sounded like the engine overspeed, and then cut off. The helicopter landed near a telephone pole and support lines. There was no evidence found to indicate that the helicopter contacted the pole or the lines. According to the first people to arrive at the crash site, the student pilot did not know what had happened. The CFI said, 'we had been flying for about an hour. We'd finished our training and were heading back with...[the student] on the controls, when the engine quit. I said I've got it and took the controls, but we were too low, with no time to recover, and crashed.' Examination of the wreckage revealed that the main and tail rotor RPM was low at impact,' because the rotor blades showed little damage. In addition, the engine and airframe examinations revealed no discrepancies. Several attempts were made to talk to the CFI at the hospital to get his factual account of the accident, but all attempts to interview him were unsuccessful. The NTSB Form 6120.1/2, was returned without a statement from the CFI.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot-in-command's failure to maintain control of the helicopter. Factors in this accident were: an improper autorotation as a result of improper collective use and resulting failure to maintain main rotor rpm.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/28/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1645 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | CULLMAN |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35055 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | CULLMAN |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 3A1 |
| 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 | 960 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1656 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 10 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HTV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 366 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| 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 | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 238 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 28 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1905 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N818D |
| NTSB Number | MIA97LA103 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Hughes |
| Aircraft Model | TH-55 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | TH-55 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6716818 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1670 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 8 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 99 |
| Airframe Hours | 12489 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOE GREEN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 231 COUNTY RD. 1360 |
| Aircraft Owner City | VIEWMONT |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35179 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 3A1 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| 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 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |