Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Monticello, Utah 84535
Monday, December 2, 2002 11:25 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, he had moved approximately 80 bags of seismic sensor cable earlier that morning with no problems. At approximately 1120, the pilot stopped operations to change lines. He proceeded to pick up five bags and was en route to the drop off point. During the approach to the north, the pilot "noticed that the Nr (rotor rpm) was high at roughly 400 rpm as [he] turned to the west." As the pilot slowed down, he added collective to reduce the rotor speed. The rotor rpm began to slow, at which point the pilot lowered the collective and applied forward cyclic to maintain forward airspeed. The rotor speed continued to decrease and the "low rotor speed warning horn" sounded. The pilot lowered the collective and flared, at which point the bags contacted the ground. The pilot then "noticed that the Nr was low" at approximately 320 rpm. The pilot "zeroed the airspeed, pumped the collective once[,] trying to slow the rate of decent and pulled up on the collective," just before impacting the ground. The helicopter settled onto the load beneath it, and subsequently rolled over on its right side causing substantial damage. An examination of the helicopter revealed no anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm. A related factor was the presence of an object in the path during the touchdown.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/2/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1125 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Monticello |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84535 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 375614N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1091940W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| 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 | 1045 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 210 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BDG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5865 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 24 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| 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) | 8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.19 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7430 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14887 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 2 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1330 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2004 8:07AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Salt Lake City, UT |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N20840 |
| NTSB Number | DEN03LA020 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aerospatiale |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350BA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1070 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4988 |
| 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 | 1 |
| 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 | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Copter Lease LLC Trustee |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4701 Hawkins St NE |
| Aircraft Owner City | Albuquerque |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 87109 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CREW CONCEPTS INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 4426 B, Highway 2 East |
| Operator City | Kalispell |
| Operator State | MT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 84535 |
| Operator Code | FZOL |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | Monticello |
| Departure State | UT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1120 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| 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 | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 22 2003 1:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |