Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
San Marcos Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
San Marcos, Texas 78666
Friday, June 5, 2009 13:15 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial pilot said that he was landing the agricultural helicopter at the edge of a large field to pick up communications radios from his ground crew. During his landing approach under power lines, he saw a vehicle approaching that he had not seen before. The pilot said that he then raised the helicopter to allow the vehicle to pass underneath. The tail rotor blades then struck a wire at about 20 feet above the ground and the helicopter began to spin. The pilot said that he lost control and the helicopter struck the surface of the field and rolled on its side. There was no postcrash fire, but the helicopter was substantially damaged. The pilot was seriously injured.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/5/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1315 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | San Marcos |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78666 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 295601N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0975207W |
| Event Location Airport | San Marcos Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KHYI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 597 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1315 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 355 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KHYI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 597 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| 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) | 30.02 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KHYI 051815Z AUTO 33007KT 10SM CLR 31/12 A3002 RMK |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25716 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ASW Recional Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 18 2009 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8420E |
| NTSB Number | CEN09CA339 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 47G |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 2 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2558 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| 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 | Aug 19 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 35 |
| Airframe Hours | 10045 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Barton Clyde E |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 101 Teakwood Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lake Jackson |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77566-3213 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CONTINENTAL HELICOPTER SERVICES INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | FM 2400 Running West Road - PO Box 620 |
| Operator City | Sanderson |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 79848-0620 |
| Operator Code | GKKG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | GKKG900S |
| 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) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KHYI |
| Departure City | San Marcos |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KHYI |
| Destination City | San Marcos |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 10 2009 4:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | latt |
| 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 | -- |