Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pittsfield Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pittsfield, Massachusetts 01201
Saturday, September 27, 1997 12:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was attempting an autorotation, as part of a biennial flight review. He climbed the helicopter to 800 feet AGL, reduced the airspeed to 80 mph, lowered the collective, rolled off the throttle to split the needles, but the needles did not split. As he continued to roll off the throttle, he noticed the rpm's in the low green area, and the helicopter began to descend rapidly. Within 5 seconds, the helicopter descended, and landed hard against a bank rising from a swamp. A post accident investigation revealed the pilot's collective in the full up position. Control continuity was established from the pilot's collective and cyclic control, to the main rotor system. The left collective and left cyclic sustained impact damage. No pre-impact abnormalities were observed. The first pilot receiving the biennial reported over 499 hours of flight experience in this make and model, and used the helicopter in a scenic ride business. The second pilot had logged over 5,186 of total helicopter flight experience, including 4 hours in this make and model, which he logged 30 years ago. Since his biennial in a Cessna 150, he logged over 150 hours of helicopter time.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The first pilot's improper procedures for an autorotation, and improper flare which resulted in a hard landing. Also causal was the second pilot's inadequate remedial action.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/27/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1200 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | PITTSFIELD |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 01201 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PITTSFIELD MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PSF |
| 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 | 1194 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1156 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 319 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ALB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 285 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 35 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| 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 | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1765 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 27 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 12:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5045F |
| NTSB Number | IAD97FA123 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Fairchild Hiller |
| Aircraft Model | FH-1100 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | FH-1100 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 191 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2750 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 7 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 18 |
| Airframe Hours | 1570 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MAZZEO HELICOPTERS INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 442 W HOUSATONIC ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | PITTSFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 01201 |
| 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 | PSF |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1135 |
| 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 | Descent |
| 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 | 32 |
| Runway Length | 3496 |
| Runway Width | 80 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |