Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dhoyntji American Samoa
Wednesday, June 5, 2002
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On June 5, 2002, about 1600 Australian Eastern Standard Time (EST), a Bell 206B(II), VH-PHA, operated by Laynhapuy Homelands Association, Inc., of Nhulunbuy (Gove), Northern Territories, crashed while on an aerial survey mission about 87 nautical miles southwest of Nhulunbuy, Australia. Of the five persons on board, four were reported fatally injured. The helicopter was destroyed in the impact and substantial post-impact fire. The helicopter was being operated in daylight, under the regulation and authority of the Civil Aviation Authority, Australia.
The helicopter was reported overdue on June 5, and found in an aerial search about 1300 EST, June 6. Initial reports indicate that the helicopter evidenced being in an autorotational descent at the time of impact with a tree. The survivor reported hearing a beeping sound just before a quick descent and impact.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has notified the Transport Safety Board, Canada, and the NTSB's Office of Aviation Safety, as well as the Product Safety Offices at Bell Helicopter, Ft. Worth, Texas, and Rolls Royce Engine Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. Rolls Royce has an investigator on standby to assist the Investigator-in-Charge, ATSB.
For further information, please contact the Investigator-in-Charge:
Mr. Brett Leyshon
Senior Transport Safety Investigator (Aviation), ATSB
PO Box 967, Civic Square ACT 2608
Canberra, Australia
tel. +61 2 6274 6452 / fax +61 2 6247 1290; www.atsb.gov.au
U.S. Accredited Representative:
Thomas R. Conroy
Air Safety Investigator
National Transportation Safety Board
Office of Aviation Safety
Regional Operations and General Aviation Division, AS-20
Washington, DC 20594
tel. 1 202 314-6314 / fax -6329
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/5/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | -- |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Dhoyntji |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | AMERICAN SAMOA |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | -- |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | Foreign |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | ATSB, Australia |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 6 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 458 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 30 2003 9:09AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| Basic weather conditions | -- |
| FAA District Office | AAI-100, Washington, DC |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | -- |
| NTSB Number | WAS02WA046 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Non-U.S., Non-Commercial |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | -- |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 206B (II) |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | -- |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | -- |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | -- |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | -- |
| Operator Street Address | PO BOX 721 |
| Operator City | NHULUNBUY NT 0881 |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | AS |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | -- |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | -- |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Unknown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 20 2002 12:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | JOND |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |