Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Eagar, Arizona 85925
Friday, October 14, 2005 11:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter impacted trees and terrain on the north side of a mountain slope as it presumably attempted to clear the rising terrain. Witnesses at the departure airport reported that they observed the pilots conduct a flight plan and obtain a weather briefing. The pilots had 13 gallons of fuel added to the helicopter and mentioned that they did not want the fuel tanks topped off due to the elevation. Witnesses observed the helicopter lift off the ground and wobble from side-to-side. The helicopter then settled to the ground and one of the skids made ground contact. The helicopter spun around 180 degrees and the helicopter lifted back up into the air. During the 180-degree rotation, the main rotor blade narrowly missed contacting the ground. The helicopter then settled back to the ground, narrowly missing ground contact with the tail rotors. The helicopter sat on the ground idling for a while before it lifted off again. The witnesses then observed the helicopter takeoff and climb slowly toward the mountains situated to the southwest of the airport. One witness commented that the helicopter was not climbing all that well. Post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies with the helicopter systems or engine that would have led to the accident. The density altitude at the accident site was calculated as 10,219 feet and the helicopter was near its maximum gross weight around the time of the accident. Both pilots were certificated to fly the helicopter and both had similar flight experience, but neither had flown the mountainous route before. Toxicology findings for the left seat pilot were consistent with recent use of diazepam.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilots' inadequate in-flight planning, which led the helicopter toward rising terrain in excess of the performance capability of the helicopter. Contributing factors were the high density altitude, and the rapidly rising terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/14/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1145 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Eagar |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85925 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 340336N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1093007W |
| 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 | 1150 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 295 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SOW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6415 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.37 |
| 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) | 21890 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 15 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 25 2007 12:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Scottsdale, Arizona |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7196J |
| NTSB Number | LAX06LA006 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | Y |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robinson Helicopter Company |
| Aircraft Model | R-22 Beta II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3171 |
| 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 | 48.7 |
| Airframe Hours | 375 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Gerald J. Mayer Jr. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Spencerville |
| Aircraft Owner State | OK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 74760 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | D68 |
| Departure City | Springerville |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1127 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CHD |
| Destination City | Chandler |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb - to cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 12 2007 2:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| 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 | -- |