Russellisville Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Witts Springs, Arkansas 72686
Wednesday, August 29, 1984 15:15 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE MANUEVERING AT AN ALT OF 35 TO 40 FT ABOVE TREE THE PLT FELT A SHUTTER AND LOW FREQUENCY SHAKING OF THE ROTOR DISK. ROTOR RPM AND ENGINE RPM DECREASED AND THE ACFT ENTERED A SHALLOW DESCENT. THE PLT APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC, REDUCED COLLECTIVE AND INCREASED THROTTLE. WITH INSUFFICIENT ALT TO RECOVER THE PLT MANEUVERED THE ACFT AWAY FROM TALL TREES AND SETTLED THE ACFT INTO AN AREA OF SMALL TREES. NO MECHANICAL FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE ALT AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 2000 FT MSL WITH A DENSITY ALT OF APRX 4500 FT MSL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/29/1984
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1515
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City WITTS SPRINGS
Event State ARKANSAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 72686
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport RUSSELLISVILLE MUNICIPAL
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 32
Degrees magnetic from airport 10
Airport Elevation 1980
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
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 6000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 6000
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) 6
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 39
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 200
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 4500
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) 1675
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 25494
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 N7487F
NTSB Number MKC84LA265
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 HUGHES
Aircraft Model 269C
Aircraft Series Identifier 269C
Aircraft Serial Number 470589
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 30 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 30
Airframe Hours 3200
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ZANE M. ANDERSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 521 W. MARYLAND AVE.
Aircraft Owner City N. LITTLE ROCK
Aircraft Owner State AR
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 72116
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 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) Aerial Observation
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code
Departure City RUSSELLVILLE
Departure State AR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1345
Departure Time Zone CDT
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 Descent
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 --