Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Newberg, Oregon 97132
Wednesday, November 21, 2007 10:10 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student pilot was initiating a cross-country flight. As the helicopter entered cruise flight, the student pilot intended to apply the cabin heater control; however, he inadvertently applied the fuel shut off control. Moments later, the engine lost power and the student pilot performed an autorotation and the helicopter landed hard. The student pilot had been training in two models of the same make of helicopter and heaters had been installed (supplemental type certificate) by the operator. The accident helicopter was flown from the left seat and the fuel shut off control was installed on the left side of the instrument panel, with the heater control on the far right side. The other helicopter was flown from the right seat with the fuel shut off control on the right side and the heater control to its left side. Pull-type knobs operate the heater and fuel shut off controls. The helicopter manufacturer offers the heater installation as an optional, after market installation, and its heater control is installed on the front of the center seat area and not on the instrument panel. The manufacturer's heater control is also operated using side-to-side motion for "ON" and "OFF" positions. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies was discovered.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot's inadvertent application of the fuel shut off valve during flight. Contributing to the accident were the locations of the heater and fuel shutoff controls.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/21/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1010 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Newberg |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97132 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 451820N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1225465W |
| 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 | 1053 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 200 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MMV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 163 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| 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) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.41 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23374 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Precision Helicopters |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 21 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 30 2008 1:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Portland FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N61480 |
| NTSB Number | SEA08LA035 |
| 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 | Schweizer |
| Aircraft Model | 269C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S1765 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2050 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1309.4 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Precision Helicopters |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 17770 NE Aviation Way |
| Aircraft Owner City | Newberg |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97132 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 17S |
| Departure City | Newberg |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1005 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 4S9 |
| Destination City | Portland-Mulino |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 27 2008 6:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| 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 | -- |