Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Moulton, Alabama 35650
Sunday, May 13, 2007 17:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot recently purchased the helicopter through an aircraft broker. An annual inspection was done prior to the sale, at which time a main rotor blade was replaced and the other three were overhauled. The accident occurred on the fourth flight of the day of a multiple-leg cross-country flight. The flight departed from one of several planned fuel stops. No flight plan was filed, and searchers found the fire- and impact-damaged wreckage 2 days later in wooded terrain. Three of the four main rotor blades were found separated from the main rotor hub with one of the blades located about 1,100 feet from the main wreckage, consistent with an in-flight separation. A National Transportation Safety Board materials engineer examined the blade retention strap assemblies, and no preexisting material issues were identified to explain why one or more main rotor blades could have separated prior to impact.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The separation of a main rotor blade from its tension torsion bar for an undetermined reason.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/13/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Moulton |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35650 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341914N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0871510W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an 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 | 1753 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 145 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MSL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 550 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 56 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| 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) | 24780 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ATL ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 15 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 23 2008 5:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Birmingham, AL. FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N468WE |
| NTSB Number | MIA07FA098 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 369A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 280285 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2250 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 3 |
| 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 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3984 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SCOTT JOHN A |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Pomona |
| Aircraft Owner State | KS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 66076-9680 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | SCOTT JOHN A |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Pomona |
| Operator State | KS |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 66076-9680 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | SCD |
| Departure City | Sylacauga |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1645 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MSL |
| Destination City | Muscle |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2008 2:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | muzd |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |