Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74464
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 4:50 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to family and friends, the pilot had been up all night watching movies with friends. The pilot intended to go hunting the morning of the accident with a friend and wanted to put his helicopter away before the trip. He scheduled to meet his friend at the airport; however, the helicopter never arrived at the airport. The wreckage was found two days later in a field just south of the departure point. Ground scars and wreckage distribution was consistent with controlled flight into terrain. An examination of the helicopter and its systems revealed no anomalies. Weather at the time of the accident was 400 feet overcast with visibility restricted due to mist. The pilot was not certified for instrument flight and there was no evidence that he had received any instrument training or that he was current for night flight. The helicopter was not certified for instrument flight and there was no record indicating that the pilot had obtained a weather briefing from a recorded source. Toxicology findings were consistent with recent use of impairing doses of a narcotic pain reliever (prescribed the day prior to the accident following a dental procedure) and recent heavy use of methamphetamine. The pilot did not report a history of substance dependence, illicit substance use, or his history of multiple alcohol related traffic offenses to the FAA.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's impairment due to recent heavy use of methamphetamine, recent use of a narcotic pain reliever, and fatigue. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of instrument experience and training.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/14/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 450 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Tahlequah |
| Event State | OKLAHOMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 74464 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 355317N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0950036W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| 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 | 432 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 4 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KTQH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 874 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 400 |
| 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) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26798 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA FSDO - Oklahoma City |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 22 2010 1:56PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3234G |
| NTSB Number | CEN10FA019 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROBINSON HELICOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | R22 BETA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4114 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 27 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1543 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NOBLE TREVOR B |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | WILMINGTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19801-1105 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Mark James Mahaney |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Tahlequah |
| Operator State | OK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 74464 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Tahlequah |
| Departure State | OK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 445 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KTQH |
| Destination City | Tahlequah |
| Destination State | OK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 2 2010 6:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kaij |
| 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 | -- |