Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Billings, Montana 59101
Friday, June 17, 2005 15:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The instructor pilot had just finished giving the other pilot a proficiency check, and had then taken control of the aircraft so that he could perform some maneuvers for his own proficiency. He performed one simulated engine-out autorotation to a touchdown, and was completing his second, when the accident occurred. He initiated the autorotation from about 1,000 feet above the ground (agl), and began establishing a flare attitude at an altitude of 100 feet agl. At that time he noticed that the descent rate of the helicopter was excessive, but instead of adding power along with the increase in collective, he decided to continue the simulation of the power loss. Just prior to touchdown, the pilot established a landing attitude and used all of the available collective to cushion the landing. When the helicopter touched down, the descent rate was still greater than the pilot desired, and immediately after contacting the ground, the main rotor flexed downward and contacted the top of the tail boom. The pilot reported that there were no problems with the aircraft's flight controls or engine, but the variable wind had changed directions during the descent from 1,000 feet agl, and the aircraft was therefore landing with a tailwind. In addition, the pilot states that the density altitude was approximately 5,700 feet, which left little room for error. In his discussion with the NTSB, the pilot stated that under the conditions, he should have initiated a go-around when he sensed the excessive descent rate at 100 feet agl.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper in-flight decision to continue a simulated engine-out autorotation after sensing an excessive descent rate at 100 feet above the ground. Factors include the excessive descent rate, variable winds, and a high density altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/17/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Billings |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59101 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 454828N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1083234W |
| 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 | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18541 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Communications Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 17 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 24 2009 12:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Helena FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N314MS |
| NTSB Number | SEA05LA120 |
| 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 | MBB |
| Aircraft Model | BO-105 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S772 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5510 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Metro Aviation, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Shreveport |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 71107 |
| 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 | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KBIL |
| Departure City | Billings |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KBIL |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - flare/touchdown |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 24 2009 12:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | -- |