Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Flagler County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bunnell, Florida 32110
Wednesday, August 4, 2004 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The aerial application flight departed at about 1030, and search efforts were initiated after it was determined to be 45 minutes overdue. The wreckage was located at about 1300 in a marshy and grassy area. An examination of the engine yielded no evidence of pre-impact machanical failure or malfunction, and an examination of the airframe revealed evidence consistent with power being present on the rotor system at the time of impact. The helicopter frame aft of the cabin was connected and displayed little damage, but the short shaft had become detached. The universal joint, tail rotor drive yoke, tail rotor guard fork assembly, and their attachment points on the aft end of the tailboom exhibited fractures and mechanical damage consistent with overload. Further analysis revealed that the characteristics of the fractures and mechanical damage were consistent with overload from the tail rotor drive yoke, tube and gearbox pivoting up and forward around the two attachment lugs at the top side of the aft end of the tailboom. An area where paint had been scrapped off was noted along the bottom of the tail rotor guard. Witnesses reported two tail strikes with the aircraft prior to the accident flight. One witness reported seeing the helicopter hit the tail on the ground during landing earlier on the day of the accident. Another witness reported seeing the tail boom come in contact with the ground during landing a day earlier. The site where the helicopter had reportedly hit its tail on the day prior to the accident was examined and a rounded impression was observed in a sodden area that was consistent with the size and shape of the helicopter's tail rotor guard.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued flights and inadequate inspections after repeated tail rotor guard ground strikes due to improper flaring, which resulted in an in-flight failure of tail rotor drive shaft components, a loss of control, and the helicopter crash.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/4/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | -- |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Bunnell |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32110 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 293782N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0811337W |
| Event Location Airport | FLAGLER COUNTY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | X47 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 12 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 33 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DAB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 34 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 35 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.93 |
| 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) | 20060 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ATL Comm. Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 4 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1335 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 29 2006 3:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Orlando, Florida |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N232MC |
| NTSB Number | MIA04GA117 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 47G-5 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7882 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2850 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 1 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 84.9 |
| Airframe Hours | 4541.8 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | EAST FLAGLER MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 24 Utility Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Palm Coast |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32137 |
| 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 | EF0G |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| 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 Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | X47 |
| Departure City | Bunnell |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1030 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | X47 |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering - aerial application |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 16 2006 10:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| 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 | -- |