Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Arlington, Washington 98223
Saturday, November 27, 2004 9:35 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
This was the pilot-rated student's first instructional flight in the recently rebuilt helicopter, which he purchased three days prior to the accident flight. About 5 minutes after the helicopter's departure on the accident flight, witnesses reported hearing a loud bang and watching the helicopter fall to the ground. The helicopter impacted terrain in an approximately level attitude, coming to rest in an upright position. There was no postcrash fire. All major components of the helicopter were accounted for and recovered before being moved to a secured storage facility. Both of the helicopter's doors separated from the aircraft in flight. The right door was recovered intact and not damaged, while the left door was accounted for in multiple fragmented pieces, including the door handle and frame, and the door latching mechanism. Both tail rotor blades were located 500 to 600 feet prior to the main impact point, with one blade exhibiting two large impact areas near the tip of the leading edge. One impact area was more rounded than the other, with the other impact area being broader and very flat. Examinations of paint transfers revealed that the material on the leading edge of a piece of main rotor blade and on the door latching mechanism were transferred paint from the tailboom, and that the yellow paint on the main rotor blade was similar to the paint from the tail rotor blade and likely from the same source. The sequence of events preceding the day of the accident flight, as well as the physical evidence examined during the investigation, indicates that the door pins were not installed prior to the flight. Physical evidence consistent with the helicopter's main rotor diverging from its normal plane of rotation and striking the left windscreen was observed in the form of an area of black transfer material, which measured 24 inches by 5 inches on the upper left outboard area of the left windscreen. The initiating event that produced the main rotor divergence could not be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The divergence of the main rotor from its normal plane of rotation for an undetermined reason, resulting in rotor contact with the aircraft's left windscreen. The failure of the door pins to be installed was a factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/27/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 935 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Arlington |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98223 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 481136N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1220903W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| 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 | 935 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 185 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AWO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 137 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 5 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20383 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Seattle Regional Operations Ce |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 27 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 950 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 3 2006 2:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Seattle, Washington |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4029Q |
| NTSB Number | SEA05FA019 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R22 Beta |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1529 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4.1 |
| Airframe Hours | 2728.3 |
| ELT Installed | -- |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Bobby Lee Hayford |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lake Stevens |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98258 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | AWO |
| Departure City | Arlington |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| 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 | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 13 2006 5:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |