Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lancaster Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Silver Spring, Pennsylvania 17575
Sunday, July 19, 2009 8:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student helicopter pilot was at the end of the cruise portion of a solo cross-country flight. When she was about to begin her descent to the destination airport, she noticed that the vertical speed indicator was indicating a descent of approximately 1,000 feet per minute and that the airspeed had increased about 10 knots. The pilot "raised the collective" control in an effort to reduce or stop the descent, but the helicopter did not respond as she expected and the descent continued. She then determined that she would not be able to reach the airport, and selected a field suitable for a landing. The helicopter landed hard in the field, and sustained substantial damage to the skids and portions of the engine mount and fuselage. On-scene examination did not reveal any preimpact failures or anomalies and postaccident testing, including runs at the engine manufacturer's factory, indicated that the engine performed normally and was capable of developing its rated power. The helicopter was equipped with hydraulically boosted main rotor flight controls which were to be used for all phases of flight. The pilot's control for activating or deactivating the hydraulic system was a 1/4 inch unguarded toggle switch located on the pilot’s cyclic control stick. The accident helicopter was not equipped with any visual or audio annunciations to alert the pilot that the hydraulic system had either failed or was selected off in flight, and no such option was available from the manufacturer. According to the helicopter manufacturer's pilot operating handbook, "Hydraulic system failure is indicated by heavy or stiff cyclic and collective controls," and that in the event that the hydraulic system failed or was turned off, "control will be normal except for the increase in stick forces." Although some control symptoms experienced by the pilot were consistent with an inoperative hydraulic system, some were not, and no physical evidence of an inoperative hydraulic system was noted.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot's inability to fully control the helicopter, during cruise and the resultant off-field hard landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/19/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 840 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Silver Spring |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 17575 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 400419N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0762555W |
| Event Location Airport | Lancaster |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | LNS |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 8 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 403 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 856 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LNS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 403 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| 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) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| 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) | 30.11 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27638 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 21 2010 2:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N25VH |
| NTSB Number | ERA09LA410 |
| 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 | ROBINSON |
| Aircraft Model | R44 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | II |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 10308 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 30 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 61 |
| Airframe Hours | 898 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | N25VHLLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Washington |
| Aircraft Owner State | DC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 20007 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Advanced Helicopter Concepts |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Frederick |
| Operator State | MD |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 21701 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FDK |
| Departure City | Frederick |
| Departure State | MD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 745 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | LNS |
| Destination City | Lancaster |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 1 2010 3:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| 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 | -- |