Kanawha Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Charleston, West Virginia 25311
Wednesday, April 13, 1983 11:15 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING AN APPROACH TO LAND, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AT APRX 500 FT AGL. THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING, HE HAD TO MANEUVER TO AVOID TREES & A RIDGE IN ORDER TO LAND IN A SUITABLE AREA. DURING THIS TIME, ROTOR RPM DROPPED & A CRASH LANDING OCCURRED. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE TIMING GEAR, PN 67687, HAD FAILED & A TOOTH HAD SEPARATED. ALSO, THE WOODRUFF KEY, PN STD-858, HAD FAILED. A METALURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE ON BOTH PARTS. FAILURE OF THE TIMING GEAR ORIGINATED AT AN INNER CORNER OR THE GEAR KEYWAY. THE ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED 613 HRS OF FLT TIME SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/13/1983
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1115
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City CHARLESTON
Event State WEST VIRGINIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 25311
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport KANAWHA
Event Location Nearest Airport ID CRW
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 240
Airport Elevation 982
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1050 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID CRW
Elevation of weather observation facility 982
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 5000
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) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 17
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
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) 707
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 20968
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 N4749R
NTSB Number ATL83LA160
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 47G-4A
Aircraft Series Identifier 47G-4A
Aircraft Serial Number 7650
Certified Max Gross Weight 2950
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 AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Aug 12 1982 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 613
Airframe Hours 4123
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CINCINNATI AIRWAYS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 8905 SPOOKY RIDGE LANE
Aircraft Owner City CINCINNATI
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 45242
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name APPALACHIAN POWER COMPANY
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
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 ROANOKE
Departure State VA
Departure Country
Departure Time 815
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 33
Runway Length 4750
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --