Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Rochester Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rochester, Massachusetts 02770
Saturday, September 14, 2002 11:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot made numerous successful lifts into the wind, with similar cranberry loads. The accident occurred during the first lift attempt at a new location. The helicopter was hovering about 12 feet above the ground, forward of the load and with a left quartering tailwind, while the ground crew secured a 900-pound cargo basket to a 15-foot sling load line. Once the load was secured, the helicopter flew forward and dragged the cargo basket. There was a "large pop" sound, and a foot-long flame exited the left exhaust pipe. The cargo basket was dragged into a ditch and the pilot jettisoned the load. After the load was released, the helicopter pitched up, the main rotor blades severed the tail boom, and the main rotor assembly separated from the helicopter. The helicopter fell to the ground and rolled over, onto its left side. Examination of the main rotor assembly revealed that it had separated from the main rotor mast below the contact areas for the static stops. There were no obstructions that would have impeded the pilot from departing into the wind.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to center the sling load prior to commencing forward flight. Also causal, was the pilot's improper decision to attempt a takeoff with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in an engine compressor stall.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/14/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1145 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ROCHESTER |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02770 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 415459N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0704343W |
| Event Location Airport | Rochester |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1153 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 275 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EWB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 80 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| 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) | 30.19 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 956 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14025 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NEROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 14 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1250 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 30 2003 9:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | BEDFORD FAA/FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N444JB |
| NTSB Number | IAD02LA094 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Garlick |
| Aircraft Model | OH-58AT |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 71-20362 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4450 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5760 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AIR FIRST LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PEMBROKE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 03275 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | JOE BRIGHAM INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | PEMBROKE |
| Operator State | NH |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | FTYL |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 5MA4 |
| Departure City | CARVER |
| Departure State | MA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Hover |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 23 2003 9:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | COXP |
| 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 | -- |