Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Arlington Hgts, Illinois 60005
Monday, May 18, 1998 13:51 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A witness observed the helicopter fly over his apartment building within 100 feet. He watched the helicopter travel away from the building on a southwesterly heading in a level attitude. The witness estimated the helicopter to be approximately 350 feet above the ground. The witness said he saw the helicopter begin a slow banked turn to the left toward a southerly heading. The helicopter banked through 30 degrees up to 90 degrees, then it pitched down and descended in a 70 to 80 degree nose-down pitch angle. The witness lost sight of the helicopter when it descended below the tree tops. Another witness in the same building said that as the helicopter was going to the west, it was getting closer to the tree tops. The witness said that the helicopter 'banked real hard [to the] south, so that the [main rotor] blades were perpendicular to the ground. The helicopter went straight down in a dive, nose first.' The witness said that the helicopter was only 15 feet above the tree tops when it dove in. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. The results of FAA toxicology testing of specimens from the pilot revealed 0.007 (ug/ml, ug/g) chlorpheniramine detected in urine.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Loss of helicopter control for unknown reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/18/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1351 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | ARLINGTON HGTS |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60005 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | 1424 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 60 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PWK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 647 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 22 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2978 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 259 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 18 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1400 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 18 2004 3:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N41BL |
| NTSB Number | CHI98FA159 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 45302 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4050 |
| 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 | Feb 18 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 64 |
| Airframe Hours | 2287 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROTORS IN MOTION CORP. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3521 N. MCAREE ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | WAUKEGAN |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60087 |
| 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 | 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | UGN |
| Departure City | WAUKEGAN |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1248 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| 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 | Mar 13 2001 4:04AM |
| 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 | -- |