Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Fillmore, California 93015
Saturday, January 31, 2009 11:08 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The operator reported that the pilot had rented the helicopter for a personal proficiency flight to the local practice area. No eyewitnesses to the accident sequence were located. Documentation of the accident site noted that pieces of the tailcone, tailrotor flight controls, and tailrotor driveshaft were located about 900 feet away from the main wreckage at a location consistent with the main rotor blade contacting the tailcone while in flight. Inspection of the outboard end of the main rotor blades found red scuff marks, which appeared to match the red “Danger” decal on the tailcone. Evidence of black scuff marks consistent with the paint scheme of the main rotor blades were also noted on pieces of the tailcone. During the postaccident examination of the airframe and control system, there was no evidence found that would explain the main rotor disc's divergence from the normal plane of rotation and its subsequent contact with the tailboom. No evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction was observed during the examination of the engine, the airframe, or control systems.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An in-flight break-up while maneuvering as a result of the main rotor blades diverging from the normal plane of rotation and severing the tailboom. The underlying reason for the main rotor divergence could not be determined.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/31/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1108 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Fillmore |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93015 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 342353N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1184641W |
| 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 | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 1155 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 245 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CMA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 77 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| 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) | 28075 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA WP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 13 2011 9:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | rows |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4160A |
| NTSB Number | WPR09FA104 |
| 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 | ROBINSON HELICOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | R22 BETA II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4297 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 11 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 54 |
| Airframe Hours | 852 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ORBIC HELICOPTERS SALES & SERVICE AT CAMARILLO LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 777 AVIATION DR |
| Aircraft Owner City | CAMARILLO |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93010-8568 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | ORBIC HELICOPTERS SALES & SERVICE AT CAMARILLO LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 777 AVIATION DR |
| Operator City | CAMARILLO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 93010-8568 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CMA |
| Departure City | Camarillo |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1030 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | CMA |
| Destination City | Camarillo |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 17 2011 1:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| 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 | -- |