Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dallas, North Carolina 28034
Monday, March 6, 2000 12:19 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was performing an out-of-ground effect (OGE) hover at 500 agl while performing aerial photography for a live news broadcast. While hovering OGE on a heading of 195 degrees with the winds were from 030 degrees at 10 knots, the helicopter experienced several unanticipated right yaw excursions. The pilot made the decision to perform an autorotation landing. He stretched the landing to clear power lines and upon impact with the ground, the helicopter rolled onto its right side. According to the pilot, he previously experienced a tail rotor failure in the same model helicopter, and believed the helicopter was possibly experiencing a similar malfunction. Advisory Circular 90-95 (Unanticipated Right Yaw in Helicopters) instructs the pilot to avoid tailwinds while maneuvering between hover and 30 knots and to be aware of wind direction and velocity when hovering in winds of 8-10 knots, especially OGE. A recommended recovery technique is to adjust the controls for normal forward flight. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no engine or airframe abnormalities.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper use of flight controls during an emergency landing. Factors were an encounter with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) during an out-of-ground effect hover, the pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, and his failure to follow proper procedures for LTE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/6/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1219 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | DALLAS |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28034 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | 1251 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 95 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CLT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 748 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 23 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| 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) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| 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 | 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 98 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 6 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1400 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 9:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N303BT |
| NTSB Number | ATL00LA034 |
| 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 | Hughes |
| Aircraft Model | 369D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 369D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1000829D |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 16 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 56 |
| Airframe Hours | 3950 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JEFFERSON PILOT BROADCASTING |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | ONE JULIAN PRICE PLACE |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHARLOTTE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 28208 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CLT |
| Departure City | CHARLOTTE |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1145 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Hover |
| 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 | -- |