Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wichita Valley Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wichita Falls, Texas 76307
Saturday, January 21, 1989 10:15 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT RPRTD THAT AFTER HE HAD FLOWN ABOUT 45 MIN, HE LANDED AT THE WICHITA VALLEY ARPT, THEN TOOK OFF FOR A RTRN FLT TO HOLLIDAY, TX. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING THE WICHITA VALLEY ARPT, WHILE EN ROUTE AT ABOUT 500' AGL, THE ENG 'MISSED A FEW TIMES.' THE PLT TURNED TO LAND AT THE ARPT, BUT THE ENG SUBSEQUENTLY LOST ALL POWER. THE PLT MADE AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING IN A WHEAT FIELD; HOWEVER, DRG THE LANDING, THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN HARD & WAS DAMAGED. THE LANDING WAS ON A NORTHERLY HEADING. THE 1001 CST WIND AT WICHITA FALLS WAS FROM 180 DEG AT 10 KTS. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS FOUND DRG THE INVESTIGATION. THE TEMP & DEW POINT WERE 49 & 24 DEG, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO CARB ICING CHARTS, CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCIVE FOR CARB ICING. THE PLT RPRTD HE WAS OPERATING WITH THE CARB HEAT APRX 1/4 'ON.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE CARBURETOR HEAT DURING FLIGHT AND HIS IMPROPER FLARE DURING AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: CARBURETOR ICING CONDITIONS, IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, A TAILWIND DURING THE LANDING, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/21/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1015 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | WICHITA FALLS |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76307 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | WICHITA VALLEY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | F14 |
| 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 | 1005 |
| 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 | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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) | 1077 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 21 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39354 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N88785 |
| NTSB Number | FTW89LA043 |
| 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 | HILLER |
| Aircraft Model | OH-23B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | OH-23B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 560 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | S & F HELICOPTER SERVICE INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 212 LEE STREET, |
| Aircraft Owner City | WICHITA FALLS |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76301 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | S & F HELO SERVICE, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 212 LEE STREET |
| Operator City | WICHITA FALLS |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 76301 |
| 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 | F14 |
| Departure City | WICHITA FALLS |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1005 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | HOLLIDAY |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | -- |