Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Warrenton, Oregon 97146
Sunday, August 13, 2006 8:25 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter descended into the ocean after encountering instrument meteorological conditions. The accident helicopter was one in a flight of two helicopters on a cross-country positioning flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure airport; however, the flight crews encountered low ceilings at the destination airport and elected to continue the flight to the west, over water, in an effort to find a break in the overcast. A passenger in the number 2 helicopter (non-accident helicopter) reported the pilots of both helicopters were in continuous contact with one another during the flight and that as the weather conditions deteriorated, the pilot of the number 2 helicopter stated "I'm going to go through it" followed by "stay right behind me." The pilot in the accident helicopter agreed. The witness reported that when the number 2 helicopter entered the fog, the accident helicopter was "behind and above us." The witness stated the pilot in the accident helicopter radioed the pilot of the number 2 helicopter asking, "How fast are you descending?" The pilot stated "very slow." The witness reported that approximately 30 seconds later; the pilot of the number 2 helicopter stated, "Go back up... it's too low. It's much lower than we thought. Go back up right now." Radio contact with the accident helicopter was lost. Approximately 15 minutes later, two orange life vests and miscellaneous wreckage debris were found floating in the water approximately 1 mile offshore. The hourly METAR observation at the destination airport included, a visibility of 5 statute miles in mist, and overcast clouds at 400 feet. Search and rescue personnel reported the weather in the area of the accident was, visibility 1 mile; overcast ceiling at 100 feet and winds from the northwest at 10 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's intentional flight into instrument meteorological conditions while maneuvering which resulted in an in flight collision with terrain/water.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/13/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 825 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Warrenton |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97146 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 460632N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1235907W |
| 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 | 755 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KAST |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 15 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| 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) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| 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) | 21363 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 13 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2007 2:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Portland, Oregon |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N168PT |
| NTSB Number | SEA06FA159 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R44 II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 10775 |
| 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 | Jul 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 840 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Civic Helicopters, Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2192 Palomar Airport Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Carlsbad |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92001 |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 60S |
| Departure City | VANCOUVER |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 730 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | AST |
| Destination City | ASTORIA |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 9 2008 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| 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 | -- |