Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
S. Padre Island, Texas 78597
Tuesady, February 5, 2008 20:54 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The EMS helicopter departed in dark night visual meteorological conditions en route to pick up a patient. The helicopter approached the intended landing zone from the west and reported to approach control that he had the landing zone in sight when he was at 1,000 feet above ground level and approximately 4 miles west of the landing zone. Shortly after that, the helicopter began a left turn approximately two miles to the west of the landing zone, followed by a tighter radius right turn. Several radio recordings from the flight nurse onboard the helicopter were heard to transmit the following: "uh i got lights here...follow the uh the lights out...ok follow the lights out...we're in the clouds again we're gonna abort transport patient by ground." The last radar position was at an altitude of 1,000 feet. Several witnesses saw the lights of the helicopter fall almost straight down, and the helicopter wreckage exhibited damage consistent with a high speed, port side, inverted impact with water. No anomalies were noted with the airframe, systems, and engine. A review of the pilot's experience showed that his most recent actual instrument experience was in 1997 when he completed an instrument competency check in a single-engine airplane. The only instrument experience in a helicopter entered in the pilot's logbook within the past ten years was two entries of simulated instrument time of 0.8 hours in December, 2005. and 0.2 hours in September, 2007.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control resulting in the helicopter impacting the water. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions, the low ceiling, dark night conditions, and the pilot's lack of recent instrument flying experience.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/5/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2054 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | S. Padre Island |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78597 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 260820N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0971225W |
| 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 | 2053 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 280 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KPIL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 19 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.81 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KPIL 060253Z AUTO 31008KT 8SM SCT010 OVC014 |
| 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) | 24919 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 5 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 4 2009 8:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | San Antonio TX |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N911VA |
| NTSB Number | DFW08FA062 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Eurocopter France |
| Aircraft Model | AS350B2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2588 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4961 |
| 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 | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 22 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 9 |
| Airframe Hours | 10307 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HARLINGEN COMM EMERGENCY CARE FOUNDATION INC DBA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1705 Vermont |
| Aircraft Owner City | Harlingen |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78550-8914 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Metro Aviation, Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1214 Hawn Avenue |
| Operator City | Shreveport |
| Operator State | LA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 71107 |
| Operator Code | HDNA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 49TX |
| Departure City | Harlingen |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2040 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | S. Padre Island |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 4 2009 8:42AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | Medical Emergency |