Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Braceville, Illinois 60407
Tuesady, August 2, 1988
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AT 1903 CDT ON 8/2/88, THE FLT DEPARTED AURORA, IL, ON A LOCAL FISHING TRIP. AT APRX 1930, IT WAS SEEN IN THE VICINITY OF CARBON HILL, IL. WHEN IT DID NOT RETURN FROM THE FISHING TRIP, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. IT WAS FOUND ON 8/4/88 WHERE IT CRASHED NEAR A COOLING LAKE NEAR A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE HELICOPTER HAD IMPACTED IN A NEAR VERTICAL DESCENT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE HELICOPTER WAS IN AN UPRIGHT ATTITUDE WHEN IT CRASHED. DRG IMPACT, THE CRUSH LINE MOVED UPWARD FROM THE SKIDS INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE CABIN. THE SEATS & TAILBOOM FAILED IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION. ALL OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD ALTHOUGH THEY HIT THE GROUND DRG IMPACT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENG WAS FOUND DRG THE INVESTIGATION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
CONDUCTING MANEUVERING FLIGHT THE PIC FAILED TO MONITOR THE HELICOPTER SYSTEMS AND ALLOWED THE MAIN ROTOR RPM TO DECAY TO THE POINT WHERE IT WOULD NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH LIFT TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/2/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 0 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | BRACEVILLE |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60407 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| 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 | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ARR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Not Reported |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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) | 2293 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 4 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1710 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40175 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9522F |
| NTSB Number | CHI88FA190 |
| 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 | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS |
| Aircraft Model | 269B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 269B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 58-0364 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1670 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 18 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1112 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SPORTFLIGHT HELICOPTER INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | AURORA MUN. ARPT |
| Aircraft Owner City | AURORA |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60507 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SPORTFLIGHT HELICOPTER INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1810 W. AIRPORT RD. |
| Operator City | AURORA |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 60506 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ARR |
| Departure City | AURORA |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1902 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ARR |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |