Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ed's Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Picacho, Arizona 85241
Sunday, September 11, 1988 14:15 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DEPART ON A VFR PERSONAL FLIGHT, CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER WAS LOST AND IT STRUCK THE GROUND. NEITHER THE FLYING PILOT NOR THE OWNER/PIC, OCCUPYING THE LEFT FRONT SEAT, HELD A ROTORCRAFT-HELICOPTER RATING. THE PIC HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN HELICOPTERS, INCLUDING THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE DUAL CONTROLS. THE OWNER/PIC AND THE PILOT, WHO WAS ALSO A FAA DESIGNATED MEDICAL EXAMINER, INITIALLY REPORTED TO AUTHORITIES THAT THE PASSENGER FELL OUT OF A PICK-UP TRUCK. LATER, THE OWNER/PIC REPORTED TO THE SAFETY BOARD THAT HE WAS PREFLIGHTING THE HELICOPTER WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING WHEN IT ROLLED OVER. THE POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE GROUND UNDER HIGH POWER IN A LEFT, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND THE EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE PILOT FLYING WAS THE PILOT WITH NO PREVIOUS HELICOPTER EXPERIENCE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
OWNER/PIC USED POOR JUDGEMENT IN ALLOWING AN UNQUALIFIED PILOT TO FLY THE HELICOPTER WHEN IT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH DUAL CONTROLS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/11/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1415 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | PICACHO |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85241 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ED'S |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| 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) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2314 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 1 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 900 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40336 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1345Q |
| NTSB Number | LAX88FA332 |
| 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 | Fairchild Hiller |
| Aircraft Model | FH-1100 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | FH-1100 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1800 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2750 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 7601 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM E HAMILTON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 468 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CASA GRANDE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85222 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HAMILTON, WILLIAM E. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 468 |
| Operator City | CASA GRANDE |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85222 |
| Operator Code | |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1415 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |