Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Flint Bishop Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Flint, Michigan 48501
Sunday, July 20, 2003 9:55 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter sustained substantial damage during a run on landing to the grass infield of the Bishop International Airport (FNT), Flint, Michigan, after the pilot reported he was having difficulties with the helicopter's "vertical pitch" during climbout. The pilot reported that during climbout at about 200-300 feet agl and about 3,000 feet from the approach end of a 7,848 foot runway, the engine was not producing enough lift. The pilot chose to execute a run on landing to the grass infield instead of landing straight ahead on the remaining runway. The ground was rough and the helicopter cartwheeled during the run on landing. The air traffic controller had cleared the pilot to land wherever he needed to land. The helicopter had a total of 56.8 hours since new. The inspection of the airframe, flight controls, and drive train revealed no pre-existing anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter. The engine was put on a test stand and an engine run was conducted. The engine met all the parameters specified in the Lycoming "Production Manual Engine Test Log." The pilot reported that he should have landed on the runway, but he landed on the grass because he did not know where the other aircraft was behind him. He reported that he did not want to be a problem, and if he was the only aircraft in the pattern he would have landed on the runway.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's inadequate decision to land on an unsuitable area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/20/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 955 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Flint |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48501 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 425756N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0834436W |
| Event Location Airport | Flint Bishop |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FNT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 782 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FNT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 782 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 11000 |
| 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) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.94 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1778 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16826 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 20 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1335 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 28 2004 12:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA Detroit FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N131MH |
| NTSB Number | CHI03FA218 |
| 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 | R22-Beta |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3449 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 56.8 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Morton Leasing LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5542 Shale |
| Aircraft Owner City | Troy |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48085 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Morton Helicopters |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6250 H Row |
| Operator City | Waterford |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 48327 |
| 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 | FNT |
| Departure City | Flint |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PTK |
| Destination City | Waterford |
| Destination State | MI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 9 2004 1:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 18 |
| Runway Length | 7848 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |