Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Helena, Montana 59602
Monday, February 6, 2006 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The commercial helicopter instructor pilot, who had come to the United States to learn to fly helicopters about four years earlier, had just concluded the evening by celebrating his twenty-first birthday and watching a football game. Distraught over personal matters, the pilot departed the party and drove from Helena, Montana, to Butte, Montana. After arriving at the helicopter operation where he was employed, the pilot secured a helicopter and departed on an unauthorized night flight to Helena. After his arrival in Helena, and while airborne, the pilot called the residence where he had previously departed from and spoke with friends, indicating that he was flying, losing control of the aircraft, and running out of fuel. The pilot also said that he was going to commit suicide, as he "could not go on like this any longer." A review of the taped conversation by local law enforcement investigators failed to indicate that the pilot ever said he was losing control or running out of fuel. Post-accident observations by Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspectors indicated that the aircraft had been consumed by fire. No anomalies with the helicopter were noted, that would have precluded normal operations. Law enforcement personnel who searched the pilot's apartment located a three-page note, which revealed his intention to commit suicide. The pilot had consumed alcohol in the hours before the accident, and two twelve ounce bottles of beer were recovered at the accident site. The toxicology report revealed a high alcohol level in the pilot's system, and the autopsy report indicated the manner of death as "suicide."

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's intentional suicide. The unauthorized use of a helicopter and impairment by alcohol were factors.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/6/2006
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 15
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City Helena
Event State MONTANA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 59602
Event Date Year 2006
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 464219N
Event Location Longitude 1115837W
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 53 Pacific Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID HLN
Elevation of weather observation facility 3877
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 10
Time Zone of the weather observation PST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 0
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -8
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.29
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 20240
NTSB Notification Source Regional Operations Center
NTSB Notification Date Feb 6 2006 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Oct 12 2006 10:15AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\JOHB
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Helena, Montana

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7085U
NTSB Number SEA06LA052
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
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 Unknown Origin
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Robinson
Aircraft Model R44
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 0607
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 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jan 1 2006 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 2704.7
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated --
ELT Aided Location of Event Site --
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Silver State Helicopters LLC
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City North Las Vegas
Aircraft Owner State NV
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 89030
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Patrick Pfeifhofer
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Toblach
Operator State --
Operator Country IT
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 BTM
Departure City Butte
Departure State MT
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 2330
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City Helena
Destination State MT
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jun 1 2006 5:46PM
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 --