Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Unk/Na Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wallingford, Connecticut 06492
Saturday, March 3, 2001 14:30 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
In preparation for an instructional flight, the flight instructor flew the helicopter from the student pilot/builder's yard to an open field across the street for the purpose of added take-off room with two people on board. Prior to this relocation, the forward ballast weight required for solo operations remained on the front right skid. The flight instructor and student agreed that the student would move the ballast weight from the forward right skid to the tail boom before getting into the helicopter. When the student met the instructor across the street, he was concerned about the skids being in the dirt. The instructor reassured the student that the ground was solid. The instructor then slid from the left seat to the right seat and the student got into the helicopter and sat in the left seat. Both occupants forgot about repositioning the ballast weight. When the instructor lifted the helicopter to hover, the nose pitched down and the helicopter accelerated forward into trees. The instructor stated that he did not use the pre-take off checklist, which would have reminded him about repositioning the ballast weight. Examination of the flight manual revealed that in the weight and balance section, it stated: "SOLO flight is performed ONLY FROM THE LEFT SEAT, and must have the ballast weight placed on the front passenger skid. DUAL flight requires the ballast weight be placed on the rear mount tube under the tail boom." There were no mechanical deficiencies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
flight instructor's failure to follow published checklist procedures, which resulted in the forward ballast weight not being moved to the tailboom prior to departure.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/3/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Wallingford |
| Event State | CONNECTICUT |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 06492 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | UNK/NA |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1456 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MMK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 103 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.85 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10516 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Windsor Locks FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 8 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 930 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 19 2001 10:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WINDSOR LOCKS |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N929BL |
| NTSB Number | IAD01LA036 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Lenart |
| Aircraft Model | Rotorway Exec 162F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6246 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 24 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 11 |
| Airframe Hours | 36 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Alicia Taylor |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | East Longmeadow |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 01028 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | BRADLEY LENART |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | WALLINGFORD |
| Operator State | CT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 06492 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | Wallingford |
| Departure State | CT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | SEYMOUR |
| Destination State | CT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 11 2001 11:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |