Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Linden Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Linden, New Jersey 07036
Friday, September 19, 2008 17:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight instructor was monitoring the student pilot during a 180-degree autorotation as part of the flight training. The maneuver was entered at 700 feet above the ground and at 100 knots. Once the intended spot was made for the 'power-on' recovery, the flare was started. As the flight instructor advanced the fuel flow control valve into the flight position, the helicopter started to settle and the low rotor speed horn came on. The flight instructor took over the controls advising the student pilot that it was going to be a run-on landing. During the landing, while in the ground run, the nose of the helicopter pitched forward as the skids dug into the mud. The flight instructor pulled back on the cyclic to prevent the blades from contacting the ground. The helicopter came to rest in the upright position in the grassy area. Post accident inspection of the helicopter’s main rotor system revealed that the 2,167 hours time in service Starflex component had two of its three arms fractured. Examinations of the fracture surfaces revealed no indications of any pre-existing damage to the areas. The fractures were consistent with overstress and unusual loads, which were produced during abrupt flight control inputs with low main rotor RPM.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor’s delayed remedial action (flight control inputs) during a practice autorotation/run-on landing resulting in fracture damage to the main rotor system Starflex.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/19/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Linden |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 07036 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 403702N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0741440W |
| Event Location Airport | Linden Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LDJ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 23 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1700 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LDJ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 23 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| 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) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.4 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26852 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA / Teterboro FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 16 2010 11:27AM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N906BA |
| NTSB Number | MIA08LA199 |
| 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 | EUROCOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350-BA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1479 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4630 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 5 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 18 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 17 |
| Airframe Hours | 12803 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Meridian Consulting I Corp Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO Box 1338 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Linden |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07036 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Liberty Helicopters |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | PO Box 1338 |
| Operator City | Linden |
| Operator State | NJ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 07036 |
| Operator Code | MHIA |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | LDJ |
| Departure City | Linden |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1740 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | LDJ |
| Destination City | Linden |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 23 2010 1:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| 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 | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |