Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Shelby County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Alabaster, Alabama 35007
Tuesady, November 23, 1982 10:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, HE NOTICED THE RPM'S BEGAN FALLING. HE STATED THAT HE INCREASED THE THROTTLE AND LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE, BUT THE RPM'S CONTINUED TO DECREASE UNTIL THE LOW RPM WARNING HORN CAME ON. AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING WAS MADE. DURING TOUCHDOWN, WHILE THE HELICOPTER STILL HAD FORWARD SPEED, THE SKIDS DUG INTO THE GROUND AND THE TAIL MOVED UP INTO THE PATH OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE HELICOPTER THEN TURNED AND CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THE AIR-FILTER CARTRIDGE WAS COVERED WITH OIL, DIRT AND OTHER CONTAMINENTS; THE 4 V-DRIVE BELTS WERE FROM DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS AND WERE OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS; THE ENGINE DRIVE ACTUATOR (PULLEY) VALLEYS WERE DEEPLY GROOVED AND WORN, THE EXHAUST MUFFLER HAD PIECES OF THE FLARE TUBE FLOATING LOOSE INSIDE THE MUFFLER. DURING A TEST RUN, THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY. A TEARDOWN OF THE TRANSMISSION REVEALED NO PREIMPACT FAILURES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/23/1982 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | ALABASTER |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35007 |
| Event Date Year | 1982 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | SHELBY COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| 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 | 1500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| 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) | 68 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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) | 3386 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N90218 |
| NTSB Number | ATL83FA044 |
| 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 | ROBINSON |
| Aircraft Model | R-22 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | R-22 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0034 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2350 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Unknown |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 83 |
| Airframe Hours | 460 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LARRY COTTINGHAM |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3600 SHARON LANE |
| Aircraft Owner City | HUEYTOWN |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35023 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | LARRY COTTINGHAM |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3600 SHARON LANE |
| Operator City | HUEYTOWN |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 35023 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | ALABASTER |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | C |
| Destination City | HUEYTOWN |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 18 2002 4:50PM |
| 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 | -- |