Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Watertown, Wisconsin 53094
Friday, August 18, 2000 21:41 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Aviation Department was operating as a public-use operator. The helicopter was on a cross-country flight when it impacted rolling terrain in a sparsely populated area. Witness described fog in the area at the time of the accident. The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Aviation Division's standard operating procedures (SOP's) states under section 3/033.05 Basic VFR Weather Minimums, that 'Basic VFR weather minimums shall conform to those minimums outlined in FAR 91.155 and 91.157.' In addition to these requirements, the night weather minimums for operations outside the local flying area were a ceiling of 1,000 feet and a visibility of 3 miles. The chief pilot reported and also made an entry into the helicopter's discrepancy log indicating that the attitude indicator was inoperative on May 19, 2000. There was no entry regarding corrective action for the attitude indicator. On June 4, 2000 a draft of an MEL, prepared by the chief pilot, stated that the attitude indicator is, 'Not required during daylight. Not required at night when in VMC [visual metrological conditions] conditions'. FAA-H-8083-21, Rotorcraft Flying Handbook, Chapter 12, Attitude Instrument Flying, states under Attitude Indicator: 'The attitude indicator provides a substitute for the natural horizon. It is the only instrument that provides an immediate and direct indication of the helicopter's pitch and bank attitude...'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The spatial disorientation by the pilot during continued flight into instrument conditions and the inadequate surveillance by the operator. The inoperative attitude indicator and night conditions were contributing factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/18/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2141 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | WATERTOWN |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 53094 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2204 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RYV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 833 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| 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) | 626 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 17 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2230 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 13 2001 9:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N626SF |
| NTSB Number | CHI00FA262 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | OH-58C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | OH-58C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 68-16718 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 30 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 3230 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MILWAUKEE COUNTY SHERIFF |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 821 W STATE ST |
| Aircraft Owner City | MILWAUKEE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 53233 |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | DLL |
| Departure City | BARABOO |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2040 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | WAUWATOSA |
| Destination State | WI |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 13 2001 9:33AM |
| 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 | -- |