Boise Air Terminal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Boise, Idaho 83705
Tuesady, December 24, 2002 10:50 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The commercial pilot, who had 900 hours PIC flight time in the make/model, and an FAA check pilot, who had 40 hours PIC flight time in the make/model, departed on a Part 135 check flight in the McDonnell Douglas (Hughes) 369D rotorcraft. After returning to the Boise airport, the commercial pilot (examinee in the left seat) transferred control of the aircraft to the check pilot (right seat) who then demonstrated a simulated 180-degree autorotation. After the check pilot rolled off power, the GEN OUT caution light illuminated followed by the ENG OUT warning light. The check pilot noted rotor RPM in the green but decelerating engine RPM, and the commercial pilot reported that he felt the check pilot's flare was premature. The rotorcraft landed hard during which time the main rotor blades flexed down impacting and severing the tailboom. Post-crash examination revealed that the left and right seat throttle/collective controls to the engine fuel control unit had been misrigged, and a test run of the engine confirmed a flameout condition when the right seat throttle was retarded to the idle position. A review of the rotorcraft's maintenance log showed that the right seat controls had been installed two days previous and signed off as "all rigging found to be within limits." The McDonnell Douglas MD500D Rotorcraft Flight Manual discusses throttle rigging in the Normal Procedures Section noting that a throttle rigging check must be performed prior to autorotation training, and the check must be performed on both left and right seat throttle controls if dual controls are installed. The Rotorcraft Flight Manual also provided a warning that "Misrigging of the throttle control may result in inadvertent flameout during rapid closing of the twistgrip to the ground idle position."

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The failure of the operator's maintenance personnel to properly rig the left/right seat twistgrip throttles to the engine fuel control, the pilot in command's failure to adhere to the rotorcraft flight manual, and the check pilot's premature flare during the autorotation resulting in a hard landing.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/24/2002
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1050
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City Boise
Event State IDAHO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 83705
Event Date Year 2002
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 433332N
Event Location Longitude 1161245W
Event Location Airport Boise Air Terminal
Event Location Nearest Airport ID BOI
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0.6
Degrees magnetic from airport 108
Airport Elevation 2868
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1053 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 325
Weather Observation Facility ID BOI
Elevation of weather observation facility 2868
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 1
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 6000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 0
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.14
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 14362
NTSB Notification Source FAA SEA ROC
NTSB Notification Date Dec 24 2002 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1000
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Nov 25 2003 11:36AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Renton FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8366F
NTSB Number SEA03LA021
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Hughes
Aircraft Model 369D
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 270082D
Certified Max Gross Weight 3000
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 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Oct 31 2002 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 65.2
Airframe Hours 9406.9
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Silverhawk Aviation, LLC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4317 Aviation Way
Aircraft Owner City Caldwell
Aircraft Owner State ID
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 83605
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Pathfinder Helicopters Inc.
Operator Same as Owner? No
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 GMUA
Owner has at least one certificate --
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code BOI
Departure City Boise
Departure State ID
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1000
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code BOI
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight Landing - flare/touchdown
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Jul 31 2003 1:35PM
User who most recently changed record STAM
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 --