Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Montpelier, Virginia 23192
Tuesady, June 3, 2003 11:03 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter took off approximately 100 pounds over maximum gross weight, then flew for an hour and a half conducting low altitude power line inspections. A hand-held Global Positioning System receiver located near the wreckage recorded the entire flight. A review of the last 23 seconds of recorded data revealed that the helicopter was headed 088 degrees, before it initiated a left turn to a heading of 285 degrees. During that time, the helicopter decelerated from a ground speed of 30.4 knots to 3.6 knots before the data ended. The helicopter descended vertically through trees, and came to rest on its right side. The collective was found in the full-up position. Examination of the low rotor RPM light displayed significant stretching and deformation to the filament, consistent with a hot impact. The Robinson R-22 Beta Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) Safety Notice #SN-10, stated that a primary cause of fatal accidents in light helicopters is failure to maintain rotor RPM. The 417-hour helicopter pilot was reported to have accumulated a total of 370 hours in R-22 helicopters.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate main rotor rpm while maneuvering at a low altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/3/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1103 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Montpelier |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 23192 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 374716N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0774313W |
| 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 | 1054 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 145 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KOPF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 205 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 759 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15899 |
| NTSB Notification Source | EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 3 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1103 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2004 7:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Richmond FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N23428 |
| NTSB Number | IAD03FA056 |
| 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 | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R-22 Beta |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2208 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 15 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 34.2 |
| Airframe Hours | 2186.6 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Helitech |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wilmington |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19802 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | Mega Telecommunications |
| Operator City | Virginia Beach |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 23455 |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | EZF |
| Departure City | Shannon Airport |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 925 |
| 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 - out of ground effect |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2004 4:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |