Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airp Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lewiston, Maine 04210
Thursday, October 8, 2009 9:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot of a helicopter was conducting a non-revenue sightseeing flight for one passenger. After lifting off, the pilot stated that he was hovering eastbound with the winds out of the west. A METAR taken on the airport approximately 5 minutes before the accident indicated the wind was from 340 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 16 knots. The pilot further stated that the helicopter’s nose made a sudden yaw to the right, which could not be corrected with reduction of throttle and full left pedal application. The helicopter touched down after a 270 degree turn, came to rest upright, with substantial damage to the main rotor blades, skids and tailboom. According to a Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular (AC) 90-95 titled "Unanticipated Right Yaw in Helicopters", operation of a helicopter with a tailwind as reported by the pilot or with a left quartering tailwind as determined by the METAR and the pilot's statement can result in unanticipated right yaw or loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE).
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) resulting from hovering the helicopter in a tailwind.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/8/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 900 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Lewiston |
| Event State | MAINE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 04210 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 440450N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0702821W |
| Event Location Airport | Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airp |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KLEW |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 288 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 855 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KLEW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 288 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| 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) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.86 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26501 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA New England ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 13 2010 11:39AM |
| User who most recently changed record | lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1835E |
| NTSB Number | ERA10CA010 |
| 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 | SCHWEIZER |
| Aircraft Model | 269C-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0255 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 8 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1750 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MTM HELICOPTERS INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 1471 |
| Aircraft Owner City | WESTBROOK |
| Aircraft Owner State | ME |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 04098-1471 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Timothy James OLeary, III |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Gorham |
| Operator State | ME |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 04038 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KLEW |
| Departure City | Lewiston |
| Departure State | ME |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 900 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KLEW |
| Destination City | Lewiston |
| Destination State | ME |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 8 2010 2:13PM |
| 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 | -- |