Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Immokalee Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Immokalee, Florida 34142
Thursday, July 12, 2007 7:11 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he conducted the preflight checks of his helicopter and everything checked out fine. He started the helicopter and everything was "normal". He picked the helicopter up to a hover and taxied over to the airport's fuel pumps. The pilot brought the rpm back to 1,800 rpm, and put the friction on the cyclic and collective. The pilot stated that his passenger was sitting on the left hand side, and before he got out of the helicopter he asked him not to touch the controls. The pilot proceeded over to the fuel credit card system when he heard a noise. He looked behind him and the helicopter was rolling over on its side. The helicopter hit the ground and the engine stopped. The pilot asked the passenger to switch off the master switch, and then he helped him out of the helicopter. The pilot stated that he would not "Hot Refuel" on his own in the future. The airport manager reported that the pilot has been told many times that "Hot Refueling" was prohibited at this airport. In the airport operation instruction manual section 4.02 Fueling Operations (a.1) states: "No aircraft shall be fueled or de-fueled while one or more of its engines are running or the aircraft is being warmed by external heat".
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot left the helicopter unattended with the engine operating which resulted in an inadvertent rollover.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/12/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 711 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Immokalee |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34142 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 262524N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0812402W |
| Event Location Airport | IMMOKALEE |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | IMM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 36 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 753 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KRSW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 30 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.06 |
| 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) | 22204 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 12 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 31 2007 7:09AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Miami FSDO-19 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N61447 |
| NTSB Number | ATL07CA103 |
| 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 | Schweizer |
| Aircraft Model | 269C-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0007 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3285.6 |
| Airframe Hours | 7.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | O'Brien Helicopters Incorporated |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2 Calvin Avenue |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lehigh Acres |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33936 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Jarlath P O'Brien |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2 Calvin Avenue |
| Operator City | Lehigh Acres |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 33936 |
| 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 | IMM |
| Departure City | IMMOKALEE |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 711 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | IMM |
| Destination City | IMMOKALEE |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Standing - idling rotors |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 28 2007 3:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| 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 | -- |