Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pollockville, North Carolina 28573
Thursday, January 8, 1987 21:15 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE EMERG MED SVC (EMS/MED-EVAC) HELICOPTER (HEL) WAS ON A NGT FLT WITH A 3 MONTH OLD PATIENT ABOARD. AFTER RPRTG LVL AT3000', THE PLT TRANSMITTED HE WAS GOING TO MAKE AN EMERG LNDG. THIS WAS FLWD BY SVRL UNREADABLE TRANSMISSIONS WHICH APCHCTL PSNL THOUGHT WERE IN REF TO AN ONBOARD FIRE. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, A FLT NURSE TRANSMITTED ON THE HOSPITAL FREQ THAT THEY WERE ON-FIRE & WERE GOING DOWN. SOON THEREAFTER, RADAR & RADIO CTC WERE LOST. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HEL CRASHED INA SLGT NOSE DOWN, RGT BANK ATTITUDE & BURNED. IT WAS EXTENSIVELY DMGD BY IMPACT & FIRE. CRASH DMG REVEALED THE HEL HAD IMPACTED AT A HI VERTICAL VELOCITY & WITH LITTLE OR NO FWD MOVEMENT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OF THE ENG ORAIRFRAME WAS FND. THE HEL HAD BEEN MODIFIED (MOD) FOR EMS OPNS IAW 4 SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATES (STC'S). THE MODS INCLUDED INSTLN OF A HI PRES OXYGEN (O2) SYS. DRG THE ACDNT, SVRL O2 LNS FAILED FM IMPACT OR FIRE, WHICH CREATED A BLOW TORCH EFFECT. THERE WAS NO PROVISION FOR EMERG SHUT-OFF OF THE O2 AT OR NR THE CYLINDERS. SOURCE OF FIRE WAS NOT FND.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/8/1987
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 2115
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City POLLOCKVILLE
Event State NORTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 28573
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 1
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 Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2145 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 255
Weather Observation Facility ID OAJ
Elevation of weather observation facility 94
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Night/Bright
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 2
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -1
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) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1000
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 4
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 4
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 848
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 8 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1058
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 33973
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:34PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5004Q
NTSB Number ATL87MA057
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground and In-flight
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELL
Aircraft Model 206L-1
Aircraft Series Identifier 206L-1
Aircraft Serial Number 45168
Certified Max Gross Weight 4150
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Dec 19 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 23
Airframe Hours 3626
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name OMNIFLIGHT AIRWAYS INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address MARTIN STATE AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City BALTIMORE
Aircraft Owner State MD
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 21220
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name OMNIFLIGHT AIRWAYS, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address
Operator City BALTIMORE
Operator State MD
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 21220
Operator Code EMS
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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 Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City JACKSONVILLE
Departure State NC
Departure Country
Departure Time 2058
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City GREENVILLE
Destination State NC
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 Yes
Medical Flight --