Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Long Island Macarthur Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Islip, New York 11779
Tuesady, August 3, 1999 11:31 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was completing transition training in the helicopter with a flight instructor. The pilot initiated a simulated hydraulics failure out of sequence with the flight-training guide and flew the helicopter to the ground without incident. With hydraulics still disabled, the pilot was instructed to hover-taxi approximately 100 feet, perform a left pedal turn, and taxi back. The pilot successfully hovered forward; however, during the turn to hover back to the start point, the pilot could not maintain control of the helicopter. The instructor attempted recovery, but the helicopter rolled and the main rotor blades struck terrain. Orientation of the helicopter following the turn resulted in a 14-knot tailwind. Examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies. Testing of the hydraulic servos revealed high fluid flow rates, but no operational deficiencies. Approximately 1 year after the accident, the helicopter manufacturer removed in ground-effect maneuvers with the hydraulics off from their flight-training guide.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's loss of control during hydraulics-off hovering flight and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the maneuver. A factor was the tailwind.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/3/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1131 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ISLIP |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 11779 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | LONG ISLAND MACARTHUR |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ISP |
| 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 | 99 |
| 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) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ISP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 99 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| 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 | 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 | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1888 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 3 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1147 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 19 2001 4:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N211PD |
| NTSB Number | IAD99GA056 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Eurocopter |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS-350 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2807 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4630 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 14 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 43 |
| Airframe Hours | 2152 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE DEPT. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2175 SMITHTOWN AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | RONKONKOMA |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 11779 |
| 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 | ISP |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1045 |
| 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 | Hover |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 19 2001 4:07AM |
| 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 | -- |