Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Santa Rosa Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Santa Rosa, California 95403
Tuesady, September 28, 2004 15:05 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a hover taxi on a company 14 CFR Part 135 pilot checkride, the helicopter did a series of fore and aft skid collisions with the taxiway, and the tail rotor separated from the helicopter. The purpose of the flight was for one of the company pilots to complete a initial instrument check ride. As the examinee taxied the helicopter for departure, the check pilot retarded the number 1 engine to a partial power setting. The examinee lowered the collective. The helicopter skids contacted the ground and it bounced into the air in a nose-low attitude. This was followed by a ground contact on the toes of the skids, and an additional bounce. During the second bounce, aft cyclic was applied, and the tail rotor contacted the ground and broke from the helicopter. The helicopter bounced and began turning to the right. The check pilot applied power to the number 1 engine and the forward portion of the skids contacted the ground while the helicopter turned to the right. The helicopter spun approximately 270 degrees about 10 feet above ground level. After 1 to 1 1/2 turns, the check pilot assumed control of the helicopter. He leveled the helicopter and applied full left pedal. The spin continued until he closed both throttles and performed a hovering autorotation. Neither the check pilot, nor the examinee reported any mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter prior to the accident. The chief pilot said the check airman responded in accordance with current company policy and procedures.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot-in-command's (examinee's) incorrect collective control response to a simulated power loss of the number 1 engine.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/28/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1505 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Santa Rosa |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95403 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 383032N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1224846W |
| Event Location Airport | Santa Rosa |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | STS |
| 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 | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | STS |
| 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 | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16982 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 28 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1615 |
| 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 | WP-OAK-FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N222UT |
| NTSB Number | LAX04CA332 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 222U |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 47559 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | California Shock Trauma Air Rescue |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CALIFORNIA SHOCK-TRAUMA AIR RESCUE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Hayward |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | STRA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | STS |
| Departure City | Santa Rosa |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | APC |
| Destination City | Napa |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 22 2004 12:29PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| 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 | -- |