Craig Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Selma, Alabama 36701
Sunday, August 8, 1999 16:00 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

After a test flight following maintenance, the pilot/owner was positioning the helicopter onto a trailer, (tail forward) when the right landing skid slipped off and became hooked on the edge of the landing platform. Despite full forward, left cyclic, the rotorcraft continued backward until the main rotor blades collided with the aft part of the truck. The main rotor pitch control rods were removed and shipped to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for failure analysis, and although the rods were found to possess under specification tensile strength, all damage appeared to be consistent with impact damage.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain the proper touchdown point during landing causing the landing skid to become entangled with the edge of the helipad platform and the resultant rollover and main rotor blade strike of the tow vehicle.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/8/1999
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1600
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City SELMA
Event State ALABAMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 36701
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 CRAIG FIELD
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SEM
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 142
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1553 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 85
Weather Observation Facility ID MGM
Elevation of weather observation facility 221
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 50
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) 6
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 39
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 24
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 260
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 2706
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1283
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 9 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 823
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Jan 10 2001 10:11AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6712D
NTSB Number MIA99LA217
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Bell
Aircraft Model 47G-B3
Aircraft Series Identifier 47G-B3
Aircraft Serial Number 2203
Certified Max Gross Weight 2950
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 25 1999 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 72
Airframe Hours 13957
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PRECISION AIR SVCS., INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address HANGAR 209, CRAIG FIELD
Aircraft Owner City SELMA
Aircraft Owner State AL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 36701
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 ZIOG
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Agriculture
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) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1540
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 10 2001 12:27PM
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 --