Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grand Ridge, Florida 32442
Sunday, January 1, 2006 19:00 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial pilot was ferrying a helicopter with two passengers/friends under Title 14, CFR Part 91 when the helicopter collided with trees and terrain in a wooded area at night, in instrument meteorological conditions. Witnesses related that the helicopter had landed near a hotel and truck stop, and the pilot and passengers had inquired about renting rooms. The pilot and passengers elected not to rent rooms, but walked to the truck stop and had a meal. After the meal, the helicopter was seen departing to the south. The helicopter did not arrive at its destination, and a search was initiated. A witness in a car on a nearby freeway, about 6 miles from the truck stop, reported to the local sheriff's office three days after the accident, that he had seen an explosion south of the freeway the night of the accident. Searchers located the helicopter in thick woods, in trees about 60 feet tall. The wreckage was extensively fragmented, consistent with a high speed impact with the trees. An on-site examination of the helicopter disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies. Weather in the vicinity at the time of the accident was reported as 300 feet overcast, visibility 1.75 miles in mist, with thunderstorms nearby. The pilot did not have an instrument rating, and the helicopter was not equipped with instrumentation for flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Toxicological samples from the pilot disclosed extremely high levels of methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is a rarely prescribed drug, and its use is not approved for pilots. Methamphetamine is highly addictive, and is most widely used as an illegal recreational drug. The amount of methamphetamine in the pilot's system was approximately 50 times higher than expected from a single dose of a prescription drug. Use of methamphetamine can result in marked personality changes, psychosis, irrational and impulsive behavior, irritability, hyperactivity, and other symptoms.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued flight into known adverse weather, and his impairment, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees and terrain during cruise flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/1/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1900 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Grand Ridge |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32442 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 304002N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0850336W |
| 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 | 1904 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KMAI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 110 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1.75 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.98 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22632 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ATL Comm. Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 4 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 20 2007 6:59AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Vestavia Hills, Alabama |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N442DH |
| NTSB Number | MIA06FA039 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | Y |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R44 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0098 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1299 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Francisco Rodriguez |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Belle Glade |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33430 |
| 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) | Ferry |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Grand Ridge |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1855 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | F45 |
| Destination City | North Palm Ba. |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 7 2007 6:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |