Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Fresno Chandler Executive Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fresno, California 93717
Wednesday, June 28, 2006 18:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot lost tail rotor authority control of the helicopter during a downwind hovering turn. The helicopter was parked facing a downwind direction and the pilot estimated the winds at 13 knots. The pilot positioned the helicopter to a hover about 4-5 feet above ground level (agl) and initiated a left pedal turn into the wind. He felt the tail rotor start to shudder, and the helicopter began yawing to the left. The helicopter then entered a spin and started to gain altitude. After three spins, the pilot executed a hovering autorotation at 15 feet agl. The left skid contacted the ground first. The helicopter then nosed forward about 30 degrees, and the main rotor blades hit the ground. The pilot applied aft cyclic, and the helicopter touched down level on both skids. The helicopter came to rest on a sloped area between the taxiway and runway. The pilot stated that the helicopter and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control following a loss of tail rotor effectiveness while in a downwind hover.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/28/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1800 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Fresno |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93717 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 364393N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1194918W |
| Event Location Airport | Fresno Chandler Executive |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FCH |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| 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 | 1756 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 48 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FAT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 336 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20442 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 28 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 3 2006 2:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP- FSDO- Fresno |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N52EP |
| NTSB Number | LAX06CA221 |
| 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 | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R-44 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0077 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1805 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Joe R. Rascon |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Kerman |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93630 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Kerman |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 93630 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FCH |
| Departure City | Fresno |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | FCH |
| Destination City | Fresno |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Hover - in ground effect |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 27 2006 2:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 12 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |