Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Austin, Texas 78709
Friday, April 23, 1993 14:47 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING AN APPROACH TO A FIELD THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED ROTATING AND CLIMBING TO APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND SUBSEQUENTLY CONTINUED ROTATION IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT UNTIL IMPACTING THE TERRAIN. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE WINDS FROM THE SOUTH VARIABLE TO THE SOUTHEAST WITH GUSTS ESTIMATED IN EXCESS OF 30 KNOTS. WITNESSES FURTHER REPORTED THAT THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN THE TYPE OF HELICOPTER IN APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS. THE SECOND PILOT WAS RATED ONLY IN FIXED WING AIRCRAFT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

AIRCRAFT CONTROL NOT MAINTAINED BY PILOT IN COMMAND. FACTORS WERE UNFAVORABLE WINDS AND PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/23/1993
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1447
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City AUSTIN
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 78709
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 4
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1451 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 45
Weather Observation Facility ID AUS
Elevation of weather observation facility 632
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 8
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 9000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 13
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 21
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 770
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 23 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1525
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 52855
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:14PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2205X
NTSB Number FTW93FA137
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 206B III
Aircraft Series Identifier 206B III
Aircraft Serial Number 3529
Certified Max Gross Weight 3200
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 Continuous Airworthiness
Date of Last Inspection Apr 16 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 3
Airframe Hours 2425
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HAUFLER, UDO
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7410 ALBERT ROAD
Aircraft Owner City AUSTIN
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 78745
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 4R2
Departure City MARBLE FALLS
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 1400
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --