Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pascagoula, Mississippi 39567
Wednesday, January 27, 1993 9:15 CST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT STATED HE WAS ABOUT 4 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT AT 300 FEET WHEN THE HELICOPTER YAWED AND THE ENGINE OUT LIGHT AND AUDIO WARNINGS CAME ON. HE THEN NOTICED THE AUTO REIGNITION LIGHT ON. THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE HELICOPTER WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. HE INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION, AND THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED THROUGH TREES AND COLLIDED WITH WATER. THE HELICOPTER THEN ROLLED ON TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND FILLED WITH WATER. THE CREW EXITED THE HELICOPTER. AFTER SPENDING 1 DAY AT THE CRASH SITE AWAITING RESCUE THE CREW WALKED TO SAFETY. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY REVEALED NO EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THE REASON FOR POWER LOSS. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED THE FUEL CONTROL INLET SCREEN WAS CLOGGED WITH METAL CONTAMINATION AND WAS BYPASSING THE FILTER. NO OTHER EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THE REASON FOR LOSS OF POWER WAS NOTED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO UNDETECTED FOREIGN MATTER CONTAMINATION OF THE ENGINE FUEL CONTROL. THE LACK OF A SUITABLE LANDING AREA WAS A FACOTR IN THE ACCIDENT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/27/1993
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 915
Event Time Zone Central Standard Time
Event City PASCAGOULA
Event State MISSISSIPPI
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 39567
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 1
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 850 Central Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 50
Weather Observation Facility ID MOB
Elevation of weather observation facility 218
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) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 10
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 10
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
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 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 558
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 28 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 845
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 50915
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:07PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6612C
NTSB Number MIA93LA055
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name HUGHES
Aircraft Model 369D
Aircraft Series Identifier 369D
Aircraft Serial Number 780314D
Certified Max Gross Weight 3000
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 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jan 26 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 1
Airframe Hours 2222
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROCK AND BOBBY RIGGS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 6905 GLENN EAGLE DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City MIAMI
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33014
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name HAVERFIELD CORPORATION
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 8603 SOUTH DIXIE HWY., #303
Operator City MIAMI
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33143
Operator Code HXFL
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation External Load
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) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code GPT
Departure City GULFPORT
Departure State MS
Departure Country
Departure Time 850
Departure Time Zone CST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
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 10:34AM
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 --