Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Okeechobee County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Okeechobee, Florida 34972
Wednesday, June 12, 2002 16:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Just after takeoff from the hospital helicopter-pad, at an altitude of about 250 feet, the pilot reported hearing and feeling "a loud bang," and the helicopter "yawed to the right." The paramedic in the rear of the helicopter stated that she saw parts of the tail rotor go by the left side of the helicopter. The pilot turned the helicopter to the right 270 degrees, and elected to perform a run-on landing in a cow pasture. After touchdown the helicopter skidded several feet, and nosed down in the dirt, resulting in the main rotor blades making contact with the tailboom and subsequently separating the tailboom from the fuselage. Laboratory examination revealed that the fracture of one of the tail rotor blades, was a result of fatigue cracking in the blade spar.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the fracture of one of the tail rotor blades as a result of fatigue cracking in the blade spar, and subsquent impact of the main rotor with the tailboom.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/12/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1615 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Okeechobee |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34972 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 271546N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0805059W |
| Event Location Airport | Okeechobee County |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OBE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 34 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1649 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 115 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSUA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 18 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 35 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.91 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1357 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13414 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SE Reg Com Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 12 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1710 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 13 2003 12:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Orlando FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N911SL |
| NTSB Number | MIA02TA109 |
| 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 | Agusta |
| Aircraft Model | A119 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 14022 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5621 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 30 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 72.8 |
| Airframe Hours | 82.4 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | St. Lucie County Sheriff |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 131 North 2nd Street, PO Box 2148 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Fort Pierce |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34954 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | OBE |
| Departure City | Okeechobee |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1615 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FPR |
| Destination City | Fort Pierce |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 21 2003 2:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | -- |