Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Spruce Creek Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Daytona Beach, Florida 32128
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 13:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airline transport certificated pilot was departing from the airport's heliport for a local area business flight. He said that gusty wind conditions prevailed during the accident takeoff, and that just after takeoff, while hover taxiing to the active runway, a strong gust of wind from the right pushed the helicopter to the left, and over an area of grass-covered terrain. The helicopter subsequently descended, the left skid contacted an area of grass-covered terrain, and the helicopter began to roll to the left. As the roll continued, the main rotor blades contacted terrain, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. The helicopter sustained structural damage to the tail boom, fuselage, and to the main rotor and tail rotor drive systems. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the helicopter.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions while hover taxiing, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain and a rollover of the helicopter. A factor associated with the accident was a gusty wind condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/18/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1300 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Daytona Beach |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32128 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 290448N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0810248W |
| Event Location Airport | Spruce Creek |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 7FL6 |
| 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 | 24 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16639 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Atlanta FAA, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 18 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1440 |
| 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 | Orlando, FL, FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N323TC |
| NTSB Number | ANC04LA024 |
| 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 | R44 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 10215 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Timberline Avaition Services LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 9051 Executive Park Drive, Suite 602 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Knoxville |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37923 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 7FL6 |
| Departure City | Daytona Beach |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 7FL6 |
| Destination City | Daytona Beach |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi - aerial |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 6 2004 2:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |