Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lada Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ida, Michigan 48140
Saturday, September 3, 2005 13:15 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that the amateur-built helicopter was in cruise flight at 1,750 feet mean sea level when the main rotor contacted the tail boom. He stated that the engine tachometer began indicating near the high operating limit. At the same time the rotor tachometer was indicating near the low operating limit. His attempt to correct the condition was not successful. The pilot stated that he lowered the collective and the helicopter pitched forward. He reported that when he compensated for the forward pitch the main rotor blades struck the tail boom. He then turned into the wind and entered an autorotation. The pilot stated that a post accident examination revealed that the engine tachometer was providing false indications and improperly indicated an engine overspeed condition.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's abrupt (improper) control action which resulted in the main rotor contacting the tail boom. Contributing factors were the false indication provided by the engine tachometer, the pilot's decision to immediately initiate an autorotation instead of performing a precautionary landing, and the corn field encountered during landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/3/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1315 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Ida |
| Event State | MICHIGAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 48140 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 415118N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0833529W |
| Event Location Airport | Lada |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 86G |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 678 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1316 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TTF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 616 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KTTF 031716Z AUTO 29009KT 10SM SCT065 BKN070 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19875 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 28 2006 1:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N20925 |
| NTSB Number | CHI05CA267 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | West |
| Aircraft Model | Revolution Mini 500 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0176 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 480 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 65.3 |
| Airframe Hours | 69.3 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Kenneth G. West |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Monroe |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 86G |
| Departure City | Petersburg |
| Departure State | MI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1305 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| 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 | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 27 2005 7:22AM |
| User who most recently changed record | JOHB |
| 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 | -- |