Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Quantico Marine Corps Airfield Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Quantico, Virginia 22135
Wednesday, April 27, 2005 18:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The purpose of the flight was to perform "fast rope" insertions by FBI helicopter to the roof of a one-story training structure with a second-story facade attached. The helicopter approached the building from the front, with two jumpers posted on skid-mounted pods on either side of the aircraft. One jumper was deployed from the left pod, and the flight crew then decided to reposition the helicopter over the building prior to deploying the jumper from the right pod. While repositioning, the helicopter dragged the right skid on the building. The pilot attempted to free the skid, and increase the helicopter's altitude above the structure. During the climb, the right skid snagged the structure; the helicopter rolled inverted, and then struck trees and terrain. Following the accident, the pilot reported that there were no deficiencies with the handling and performance of the helicopter.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight crew's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from a building, which resulted in contact with the building, dynamic rollover, and collision with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/27/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1800 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Quantico |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 22135 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 383158N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0772659W |
| Event Location Airport | Quantico Marine Corps Airfield |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NYG |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 8 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 11 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1755 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 289 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | NYG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 11 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 9000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.72 |
| 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) | 19998 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FBI |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 27 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1945 |
| 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 | Washington, DC |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5252Y |
| NTSB Number | IAD05TA058 |
| 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 | Hughes |
| Aircraft Model | 369FF |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0023F |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3100 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 44 |
| Airframe Hours | 2132 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FBI |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1935 Pennsylvania Ave |
| Aircraft Owner City | Washington |
| Aircraft Owner State | DC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 20535 |
| 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 | QUANTICO |
| Operator State | VA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NYG |
| Departure City | QUANTICO |
| Departure State | VA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1755 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | NYG |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Hover - out of ground effect |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 26 2006 1:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | ANDJ |
| 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 | -- |