Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Gulfport Biloxi International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gulf Port, Mississippi 39560
Tuesady, January 18, 2005 12:20 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The instructor stated, the student entered a well maintained 70-knot glide prior to performing the autorotation recovery. The student flared too high, 10 to 12 feet agl and kept the throttle closed, preventing the governor from restoring the rpm needed to recover from the maneuver. The lack of sufficient lift and low altitude did not allow him to slow the descent. The skids and the tailboom of the helicopter incurred substantial damage from the hard landing. The student pilot stated, everything at the time of the flare was normal; however, the instructor took control of the aircraft and felt him trying to roll the throttle on, but for some reason, the student was unable to release the throttle. The helicopter landed hard from about 5 to 6 feet above the ground.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot's inadequate flare and his failure to maintain rotor rpm which resulted in a hard landing. Also causal was the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/18/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1220 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Gulf Port |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39560 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 302426N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0890412W |
| Event Location Airport | Gulfport Biloxi International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KGPT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.02 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 48 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GPT |
| 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) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.66 |
| 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) | 17467 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Atlanta Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 30 2005 6:20AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N26498 |
| NTSB Number | MIA05CA051 |
| 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 | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R22 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 836 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | Military |
| 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 | Dec 30 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 35.1 |
| Airframe Hours | 10960.7 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Vortex Helicopoters Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7120 Jones Truckline Rd |
| Aircraft Owner City | Long Beach |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 39560 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 7120 Jones Truckline Rd |
| Operator City | Long Beach |
| Operator State | MS |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 39560 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | K35M |
| Departure City | Long beach |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KGPT |
| Destination City | BILOXI |
| Destination State | MS |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |