Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ava, Missouri 65608
Saturday, July 19, 1997 14:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was completing a series of flight tests that involved transitions from cruise flight into a hover. The pilot reported the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) was higher in cruise flight than when hovering and that the EGT cooled rapidly when the helicopter went from cruise flight into the hovering maneuver. The pilot stated that approximately two miles from his destination, at 2,500 feet mean sea level (msl), he began a 200 to 300 foot/min descent to reach the airport's traffic pattern altitude. He said that as soon as the descent was initiated he experienced unusual engine noises and an abrupt loss of engine power. He lowered the collective and applied full power, but received no indication of engine power. He then initiated an autorotation to landing on a field with a 30-degree slope. Upon landing, the aircraft rolled over and came to rest on its port side causing the rotor to impact the tail boom. Examination of the engine showed evidence that the engine had seized during flight. Inspection of the fuel metering system showed that the accident airplane had not complied with Revolution Helicopter Service Information Letter number 042696, which requires the original factory carburetor jet setting to be adjusted to insure that the EGT be between 1,000 and 1,150 degrees Fahrenheit. No engine coolant was found in the coolant tank and the coolant hose tee was found to be deformed and leaking fluid.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Loss of engine power due to loss of engine cooling fluid. Related factors were maintenance service bulletin not complied with by the owner/pilot mechanic resulting in low output of the carburetor, and unsuitable terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/19/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | AVA |
| Event State | MISSOURI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 65608 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1354 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 296 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SGS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1267 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 37 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 3550 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1883 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 22 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1200 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N500XM |
| NTSB Number | CHI97LA222 |
| 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 | Morgan |
| Aircraft Model | MINI-500 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | MINI-500 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 180 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 840 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 20 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 23 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN WAYN MORGAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P. O. BOX 97 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CABOOL |
| Aircraft Owner State | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 65689 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TVB |
| Departure City | CABOOL |
| Departure State | MO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1305 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | AOV |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | MO |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| 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 | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |