Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Prestonburg, Kentucky 41653
Tuesady, April 16, 1985 14:40 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PAX DEPLANED & THE PLT TOOK OFF ON A SHORT FLT TO A NEARBY ARPT TO REFUEL. AFTER CLIMBING FOR ABOUT 30 TO 40 SEC & ACCELERATING TO APRX 100 KTS, THE PLT STARTED TO ADJUST THE PWR FOR LVL FLT. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE ENG LOST PWR. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO RESTORE ENG PWR, BUT WAS UNABLE. HE TURNED TO LAND IN A LARGE FIELD THAT HE HAD JUST OVERFLOWN. DRGAN AUTOROTATION, THE ENG STABILIZED AT IDLE RPM, BUT WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE MOVEMENTS. THE PLT SAW POWER LINES IN HIS AUTOROTATION PATH & ELECTED TO CROSS OVER A CREEK & A ROW OF TREES & LAND IN ANOTHER FIELD. HOWEVER, THE HELI- COPTER HAD INSUFFICIENT ALT TO CLEAR THE TREES. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT HIT THE TREES & CRASH LANDED ON A CREEK BANK. AFTER LANDING, THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING & WAS SHUT DOWN BY USING THE FUEL SHUT-OFF SW. THE AFT FUEL CELL WAS PUNCTURED DRG IMPACT; THEREFORE, THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE ENG OPERATED DRG A POST-CRASH CHECK, BUT IMPACT DAMAGE PREVENTED OPERATING IT AT HIGH RPM. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS VERIFIED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/16/1985 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1440 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | PRESTONBURG |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 41653 |
| Event Date Year | 1985 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| 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 | 0 |
| 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 | 4000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 225 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1015 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 16 1985 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1538 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 28328 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N773WW |
| NTSB Number | ATL85FA135 |
| 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 | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 45744 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4050 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 28 1985 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 882 |
| Airframe Hours | 6837 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILKINSON FLYING SERVICE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 928 NANDIND BLVD |
| Aircraft Owner City | LEXINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 40511 |
| 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 | 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1435 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 316 |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |