Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cottonwood, Arizona 86336
Sunday, May 3, 2009 12:30 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The local sightseeing flight departed Prescott to tour the Jerome, Cottonwood, and Verde Rivers areas in Arizona. The pilot was maneuvering through a dry river bed in a hilly area. He did not see a set of power lines until they hit the windshield about level with the top of the instrument panel. The nose immediately pitched up and then quickly pitched forward. The pilot estimated that the airspeed was 70 knots and that the altitude was 150 feet above ground level. He lowered the collective to enter an autorotation but delayed the flare until passing over a ridgeline. He was able to bleed off most of the airspeed and leveled the skids prior to touchdown; however, the skids dug into soft dirt and the helicopter pitched forward. The main rotor blades were still at 100 percent rpm when they struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. The helicopter rocked back and came to rest upright on the skids. The main rotor blades, mast, firewall, tail boom, and tail rotor driveshaft sustained substantial damage.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain clearance from wires.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/3/2009
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1230
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City Cottonwood
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 86336
Event Date Year 2009
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 344636N
Event Location Longitude 1115954W
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1253 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 250
Weather Observation Facility ID PRC
Elevation of weather observation facility 5045
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 25
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
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) 25
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 180
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 17
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.08
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 4
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 25427
NTSB Notification Source FAA AWP 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 8 2009 12:48PM
User who most recently changed record coos
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N441CB
NTSB Number WPR09CA224
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
Aircraft Model R44
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 10068
Certified Max Gross Weight 2500
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 13 2009 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 86
Airframe Hours 1541
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type Unknown
Aircraft Owner Name Guidance Helicopters, Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Prescott
Aircraft Owner State AZ
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 86301
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Guidance Helicopters, Inc.
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Prescott
Operator State AZ
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 86301
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code PRC
Departure City Prescott
Departure State AZ
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1130
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code PRC
Destination City Prescott
Destination State AZ
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record May 8 2009 12:49PM
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 Yes
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --