Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Duluth International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Duluth, Minnesota 55803
Friday, September 17, 2010 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, he lifted the helicopter into a hover and subsequently established a 600 foot-per-minute rate of climb at 60 knots airspeed to depart the area. As the helicopter climbed out, he reported a sinking feeling in the seat and noticed that the vertical speed indicator displayed a descent. The pilot increased the engine power but the helicopter continued to descend. The pilot could not discern his exact height above the water because of the night lighting conditions and thought that the helicopter was higher off the water than it was; as a result, he did not flare prior to impact. A witness reported that the liftoff and initial climb also appeared normal and that the helicopter appeared to be level and remain in controlled flight the entire time. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The witness commented that the conditions were dark at the time of the accident, but there was a distinguishable horizon. The light wind reported at the time of the accident and lack of convective activity in the area is inconsistent with a downdraft or microburst condition.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to identify and arrest the helicopter's descent due to spatial disorientation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/17/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 23 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Duluth |
| Event State | MINNESOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 55803 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 470030N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0921254W |
| Event Location Airport | Duluth International |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | DLH |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 11 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1428 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 55 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 174 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DLH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1428 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| 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) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.96 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27781 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-Minneapolis FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 2 2011 8:21AM |
| User who most recently changed record | andj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N145DM |
| NTSB Number | CEN10LA556 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY |
| Aircraft Model | R44 II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 11004 |
| 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 | Sep 3 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 8 |
| Airframe Hours | 1175 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Jauss Aviation Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4326 Turner Rd |
| Aircraft Owner City | Duluth |
| Aircraft Owner State | MN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 55803-9293 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Lake Superior Helicopters |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1419 N 46th St |
| Operator City | Superior |
| Operator State | WI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 54880 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PVT |
| Departure City | Duluth |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 22 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | DLH |
| Destination City | Duluth |
| Destination State | MN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 5 2010 3:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | sort |
| 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 | -- |