Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Falcon Heliport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Orlando, Florida 32819
Saturday, May 17, 1997 13:02 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Shortly after takeoff during cruise flight at 60 knots while over trees no less than 600 feet agl, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot initiated a descent for an autorotative landing and during the descent he reportedly pulled the caution circuit breaker. One of the passengers who is a helicopter rated pilot reported that he did not observe the pilot pull the caution circuit breaker. At 50 feet, he flared but the pilot rated passenger stated that he did not feel the initial collective pull. The pilot stated that he misjudged his landing area distance and while attempting to clear trees below, he intentionally bled the main rotor rpm. The helicopter landed hard in a clearing. Post crash examination of the cockpit revealed that the caution circuit breaker was pulled. Fuel quantity was sufficient to sustain engine operation and no contaminants were found. No discrepancies were noted with the fuel control or power turbine governor. The engine was removed from the helicopter and placed in a test cell where it was operated and found to produce less than full rated power. Disassembly of the engine revealed minor discrepancies. The fuel control and the power turbine governor were bench tested which revealed no mechanical failure or malfunction. No determination could be made as to the reason for the total loss of engine power.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot misjudging the distance of the intended touchdown point resulting in his intentional decrease in the main rotor rpm to clear obstacles below. Contributing to the accident was the total loss of engine power due to undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/17/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1302 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ORLANDO |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32819 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | FALCON HELIPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 2FD7 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 74 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1324 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MCO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 96 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3900 |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| 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 | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 657 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 17 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1430 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N30SG |
| NTSB Number | MIA97LA168 |
| 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 | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 45644 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4150 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 7523 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SAMUEL W. GROOME |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 124 E. MARKET ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | GEORGETOWN |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19947 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AIR ORLANDO HELICOPTER, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 8990 INTERNATIONAL DR. |
| Operator City | ORLANDO |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 32819 |
| Operator Code | |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 2FD7 |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1701 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| 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 | Cruise |
| 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 | -- |