Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Breckenridge, Colorado 80424
Thursday, July 2, 2009 15:15 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter was conducting external load operations at an estimated density altitude of 14,000 to 14,500 feet. While manuvering to the landing zone, the helicopter began to lose tail rotor effectiveness. The commercial pilot was unable to regain control of the helicopter prior to impacting sloping terrain. Substantial damaged was sustained to the helicopter's fuselage and the pilot was seriously injured. Using an estimate total gross weigh of 3,600 pounds (3,000 pounds for the helicopter plus internal load and 600 pounds for the external load), the helicopter would have been operating in the Area B section of the Out of Ground Effect (OGE) Hover Ceiling chart and is subject to the Critical Relative Wind Azimuth chart that lists a wind avoid area between 050-210°. This density altitude combined with the helicopter's weight placed the helicopter's performance in the "Critical Wind Azimuth Area." Convective activity in the area of the accident would have produced varying wind directions with gusts up to 30 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while maneuvering due to a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to monitor wind direction while operating in the "Critical Wind Azimuth Area."
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/2/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1515 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Breckenridge |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80424 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| 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 | 1515 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KLXV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9927 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Overcast |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.48 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KLXV 022053Z AUTO 23008KT 10SM OVC070 17/02 |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 1 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26483 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NW ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 9 2010 9:55AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N38AZ |
| NTSB Number | CEN09LA413 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load |
| 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 HELICOPTER TEXTRON |
| Aircraft Model | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 45748 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4150 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 27 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 26 |
| Airframe Hours | 13092 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KAUFFMAN WELL SERVICE INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1675 BROADWAY STE 2800 |
| Aircraft Owner City | DENVER |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80202-4690 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | MILE HIGH HELICOPTER COMPANY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 7355 SOUTH PEORIA STREET |
| Operator City | ENGLEWOOD |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 80112 |
| Operator Code | W80L |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| Operator Certificate Number | W80L222L |
| 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) | External Load |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KAPA |
| Departure City | Englewood |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Breckenridge |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 23 2009 4:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | aguj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |