Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
East North Port, New York 11731
Saturday, July 1, 2000 16:02 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During an aerial photography flight, the helicopter made three circles around some property, and then proceeded to the south. At this point, the passenger looked out the windshield and noticed that they were just above the treetops, about 100-250 above ground level, with a very slow forward airspeed. The helicopter then began to shake and began a high descent rate to the ground. During the descent, the passenger saw the pilot making a lot of control movements, and noted that the low rotor RPM warning horn and light stayed on from the time the helicopter started shaking all the way to the ground. Examination of the helicopter revealed that the collective was found in the full up position, the rotor blades were bent up, and tree limbs were strewn around the accident site. The pilot operating handbook stated that when the low rotor RPM warning horn and caution light are activated, rotor RPM is below safe limits, and the pilot should immediately roll on throttle, lower collective, and in forward flight apply aft cyclic. Examination of the helicopter revealed there were no mechanical malfunctions.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor RPM and failure to follow published recovery procedures after the low rotor RPM warning horn and caution light activated.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/1/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1602 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | EAST NORTH PORT |
| Event State | NEW YORK |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 11731 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FRG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 82 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| 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) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1387 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11197 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern Region |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 1 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1706 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2001 1:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N94RP |
| NTSB Number | IAD00LA054 |
| 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 | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R-22B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | R-22B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2422 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| 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 | Jul 15 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 65 |
| Airframe Hours | 401 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EASTERN HELICOPTERS, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | LONG ISLAND MCCARTHUR AIRPORT |
| Aircraft Owner City | ISLIP |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FRG |
| Departure City | FARMINGDALE |
| Departure State | NY |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1545 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ISP |
| Destination City | ISLIP |
| Destination State | NY |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 31 2001 4:04AM |
| 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 | -- |