Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gallatin, Tennessee 37066
Sunday, November 2, 2008 18:12 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certificated private pilot was flying his second of two solo night flights for an add-on helicopter rating. He flew the same route as the previous evening but, due to a change from daylight savings time to standard time, he was flying the route an hour later. The end of nautical twilight was about 15 minutes before the accident and the moon was in its crescent phase. According to radar data, which did not include altitude readouts, the helicopter overflew a river leading to a small town, then followed the river, mid-stream, as it turned to the left. The helicopter then flew over a bridge and disappeared into the river on the other side. Examinations of the wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating and was conducting night operations over water, which likely resulted in spatial disorientation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadvertent descent into water as a result of the dark night and limited outside visual references.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/2/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1812 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Gallatin |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37066 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 362011N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0862617W |
| 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 | 1853 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BNA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 599 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| 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) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.26 |
| 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) | 27113 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Aircraft Operator |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 29 2010 6:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coxp |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N300FX |
| NTSB Number | ERA09FA036 |
| 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 | ROBINSON |
| Aircraft Model | R-44 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1102 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 685 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Harvey-Smith Ellen L. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2717 Eastland Ave. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Nashville |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37206 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Noble Aviation LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 760 Franklin Rd |
| Operator City | Lebanon |
| Operator State | TN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 37087 |
| Operator Code | 6FDA |
| 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 | 964L |
| 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 | M54 |
| Departure City | Lebanon |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | M88 |
| Destination City | Nashville |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 14 2009 9:32AM |
| User who most recently changed record | wilr |
| 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 | -- |