Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Monroe, North Carolina 28112
Thursday, January 22, 2009 10:30 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a flight to "simulate a mission" to examine power lines, the helicopter had been paralleling the west side of transmission lines. While resetting the global position system (GPS), the pilot-in-command (PIC) transferred controls to the pilot-rated-passenger. While the PIC was trying to reduce the sensitivity of the GPS warning system, the helicopter made a right turn of almost 260 degrees of heading change, allowing the helicopter to be on a perpendicular ground track and traveling directly toward the power lines. The helicopter collided with the topmost lines in the set, which were the grounding wires for the transmission line. The helicopter was observed by an eyewitness impacting the power line and descending to the ground. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any mechanical deficiencies. Several witnesses heard the helicopter and reported that it sounded normal prior to impacting the power lines. The main rotor blade was separated from the main wreckage. The pilot-rated-passenger had a history that he had not revealed to the Federal Aviation Administration of kidney stones, severe knee pain, and regular use of prescription pain medication. This pilot had seen an orthopedic surgeon the day before the accident for continuing knee pain, for which he had requested and received additional pain medication "to help him sleep." Toxicological testing was consistent with the recent use of the potentially impairing narcotic medication that had been prescribed the day before the accident. It is possible that the pilot-rated-passenger was impaired or distracted by knee pain, by the use of narcotic medication for that pain, or by fatigue due to insomnia from the knee pain; however, the investigation could not conclusively determine if impairment or distractions contributed to the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot-rated-passenger’s failure to maintain clearance from a known wire hazard during low-level maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the pilot-in-command’s inadequate monitoring of the flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/22/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Monroe |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28112 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 345839N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0803353W |
| 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 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 316 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EQY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 679 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| 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) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26794 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern Region ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 15 2010 1:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4191A |
| NTSB Number | ERA09LA139 |
| 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 | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | OH-6A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 65-12965 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 26 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5661 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Charlotte Helicopters Flight Academy, Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Charlotte |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 28271 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Charlotte Helicopters Flight Academy, Inc |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Charlotte |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 28271 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | EQY |
| Departure City | Monroe |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | EQY |
| Destination City | Monroe |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 9 2010 3:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |