Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Prosser Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Prosser, Washington 99350
Thursday, November 6, 2003 15:15 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While on an instructional flight, the flight instructor demonstrated a takeoff from a slope to the student pilot (owner) and then gave control of the rotorcraft to the student to execute a similar maneuver. The first attempt was aborted and the maneuver was re-initiated. On the second try the student rolled the rotorcraft to a level attitude but then failed to neutralize cyclic before attempting to liftoff. The student then abruptly applied collective and the rotorcraft began rolling left rapidly, lifting off and entering an immediate left rotation about five feet above ground. The instructor took control of the rotorcraft and attempted to regain directional control. He did not reduce throttle as the rotorcraft was over a ditch, which he did not want to land in. Without a throttle reduction the rotorcraft continued to rotate through four revolutions before RPM had decayed to an extent that sustained flight was no longer possible. The rotorcraft then touched down clear of the ditch while still rotating and immediately rolled onto its left side.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot's abrupt application of excessive collective and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student. Contributing factors were the ditch and low rotor RPM.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/6/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1515 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Prosser |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99350 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 461244N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1194746W |
| Event Location Airport | Prosser |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | S40 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 694 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 64 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PSC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 407 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 24 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.38 |
| 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) | 15598 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Pilot/Owner |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 6 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1540 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2004 1:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Spokane FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6463S |
| NTSB Number | SEA04LA015 |
| 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 | Schmitt (Rotorway) |
| Aircraft Model | Exec 162F |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6463 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1500 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 21 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 22 |
| Airframe Hours | 22 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Schmitt, Andrew L. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Richland |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99352 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | S40 |
| Departure City | Prosser |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| 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 | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 12 2004 10:00AM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| 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 | -- |