Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Herlong Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jacksonville, Florida 32210
Tuesady, August 4, 2009 16:28 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certified flight instructor and a commercial pilot receiving instruction were practicing maneuvers in the helicopter with the hydraulic system turned off, to simulate a hydraulic system failure. The commercial pilot was conducting a practice approach to a runway, with a transition to a hover. As the helicopter approached 5 feet above the ground, the commercial pilot began to lose directional control of the helicopter. The flight instructor assumed control; however, the helicopter entered multiple revolutions, climbs, and descents before it contacted the ground, spun, and rolled over. The fuselage, tail rotor and main rotor drive systems were substantially damaged. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions; nor did either pilot report any mechanical abnormalities. According to the helicopter manufacturer's flight manual training supplement, hovering without hydraulic power was not an approved procedure and would result in "excessive pilot workload, poor aircraft control, and possible loss of control."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's improper decision to attempt hover flight without hydraulic power and his subsequent loss of control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/4/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1628 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Jacksonville |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32210 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 301627N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0814811W |
| Event Location Airport | Herlong |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HEG |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 87 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1550 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VQQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 81 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.01 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27595 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Customs and Border Protection |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 8 2010 10:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N186AE |
| NTSB Number | ERA09TA440 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | EUROCOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | AS 350B3 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3872 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4961 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 21 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 52 |
| Airframe Hours | 1149 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | U S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1300 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW |
| Aircraft Owner City | WASHINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 20229-0001 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | U S Customs and Border Protection |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | WASHINGTON |
| Operator State | DC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 20229-0001 |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NIP |
| Departure City | Jacksonville |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1558 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | HEG |
| Destination City | Jacksonville |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 8 2010 10:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 25 |
| Runway Length | 4000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |