Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Boonville, Missouri 65233
Wednesday, June 25, 2003 22:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter impacted terrain during cruise flight in night instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot had previously landed due to deteriorating weather encountered along his route of flight. Thunderstorms with heavy rain and reduced visibilities were passing through the accident area. After landing, the pilot evaluated the weather and elected to continue onto his planned destination. The pilot did not obtain a FAA weather briefing prior to departing on the accident flight. The helicopter encountered instrument meteorological conditions during the accident flight. The helicopter impacted terrain while attempting to return to the departure airport. The wreckage was located 10.1nm south of the departure airport. The pilot was not instrument rated and had not logged any instrument flight time. The pilot had accumulated 8.5 hours of night experience and his last logged night flight was 10 months prior to the accident. Inspection of the wreckage did not exhibit any evidence of pre-impact malfunction that would have prevented normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation which resulted in his inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions. An additional cause was the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain. The dark night, thunderstorms, rain and lack of instrument rating were contributing factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/25/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2245 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Boonville |
| Event State | MISSOURI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 65233 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 384641N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0924145W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2234 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 114 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | JEF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 549 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 28 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.75 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 18 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.98 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 18904 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-ACE-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 26 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 31 2006 7:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA - Kansas City FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N298HS |
| NTSB Number | CHI03FA179 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Eurocopter |
| Aircraft Model | EC120B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1149 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3780 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 1 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 94.85 |
| Airframe Hours | 235.65 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Dejong Manufacturing Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 515 |
| Aircraft Owner City | New Sharon |
| Aircraft Owner State | IA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 50207 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | VER |
| Departure City | Boonville |
| Departure State | MO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2230 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | K15 |
| Destination City | Osage Beach |
| Destination State | MO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 8 2005 4:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |