Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Westport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wichita, Kansas 67201
Monday, April 7, 2003 15:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter was substantially damaged during a run-on landing following a practice autorotation. The flight instructor stated that during the landing the helicopter rotated forward "lifting the tailboom into the path of the main-rotor, which severed the tailboom." The aircraft turned to the left approximately 90 degrees and came to a rest. The instructor was demonstrating a full touchdown autorotation to a run-on landing on the grass area adjacent to a paved runway. The dual student reported that the touchdown itself was light and the helicopter did not decelerate very rapidly until the end of the ground run. According to both pilots the grass landing area was smooth, firm and dry. Neither pilot reported any malfunctions with the helicopter or the engine prior to the accident. The pilot's flight manual included a caution stating: "Avoid rapid lowering of collective pitch control after ground contact." The FAA Rotorcraft Flying Handbook specifies that when conducting a running landing, "due to the increased ground friction when you lower the collective, the helicopter's nose might pitch forward. Exercise caution not to correct this pitching movement with aft cyclic since this movement could result in the rotor making contact with the tailboom."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The premature lowering of the collective and the improper use of the cyclic during the run-on landing performed by the flight instructor, as well as the main rotor/tail boom contact. Contributing factors were the intentional run-on landing, the grass landing surface and the severed tail boom.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/7/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1545 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Wichita |
| Event State | KANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 67201 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 373851N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0972304W |
| Event Location Airport | Westport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 71K |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1290 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1556 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ICT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1333 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4100 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| 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 | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16669 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 7 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1700 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 3 2004 9:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Wichita FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8968F |
| NTSB Number | CHI03LA098 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Schweizer |
| Aircraft Model | 269C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 630212 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2050 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 2 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 11796 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ballard Aviation Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6601 Pueblo |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wichita |
| Aircraft Owner State | KS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 67209 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| 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 | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ICT |
| Departure City | Wichita |
| Departure State | KS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 71K |
| Destination City | Wichita |
| Destination State | KS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 17 2004 4:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 35 |
| Runway Length | 3000 |
| Runway Width | 80 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |