Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bethlehem, Georgia 30620
Saturday, February 24, 2007 15:08 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial pilot attempted a downwind departure at or about maximum gross weight in a very tight landing zone with high obstacles, forcing the pilot to use rotor energy to gain altitude which would have slowed rotor RPM below safe operating limits. With a tailwind the engine had insufficient power for the helicopter to reach transitional lift. Once the pilot determined that he could not regain rotor speed, he would have selected an area in the woods to try and descend. Rotor RPM would have continued to decay and the pilot would have initiated an Auto-Rotation. The pilot closed the throttle as noted by the crushed throttle linkage. The tail-rotor descended into the trees as evidenced by impact marks to the leading edge of the tail-rotor blades. The engine was still developing power to the rotor system as observed in the twisting of the tail-rotor drive shaft aft of the tail-rotor universal joint. The helicopter descended through the trees vertically and nosed down when the main rotor blades exited the helicopter. The metal strip on the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom at the rear universal joint of the tail rotor drive shaft. The helicopter impacted the ground. The transmission and rotor system crushed the flight deck. Examination of the helicopter found no preimpact mechanical failure or malfunctions that would have prevented the helicopter from operating properly.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm, which resulted in an attempted autorotation and in-flight collision with trees. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the pilot exceeding the helicopters takeoff capability.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/24/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1508 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Bethlehem |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30620 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 334525N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0833906W |
| 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 | 1500 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 355 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | WDR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 943 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.1 |
| 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) | 23322 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Com Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 24 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 31 2008 11:52AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8180H |
| NTSB Number | ATL07LA045 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Hiller |
| Aircraft Model | UH-12A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 180 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2500 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | -- |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Roy W. Hubbard |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 715 Cross Lane, NW |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bethlehem |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30620 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | PVT |
| Departure City | Bethlehem |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1508 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 20 2008 4:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |