Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Space Coast Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Titusville, Florida 32780
Saturday, August 27, 2011 10:39 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the student pilot, he flew to a clearing to practice quick stops. He landed in the grass that he estimated to be about 1 foot tall, reset the altimeter, and lifted off the ground into an approximate 3-foot hover. Shortly thereafter, he noticed smoke blowing past the right side of the helicopter. He said that as he attempted to maneuver the helicopter away from the smoke, the engine lost power, and the rotor speed decayed. He landed in the grass, which was on fire, and exited the helicopter, which sustained substantial thermal damage forward of the tailboom. A postaccident examination revealed that the engine exhaust had ignited the grass. According to the operator, the accident location was not an approved landing site. According to the helicopter's flight manual, a fire can result from landing in tall, dry grass due to the exhaust heat. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot's landing at an unapproved location, which resulted in a ground fire from the engine exhaust.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/27/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1039 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Titusville |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32780 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 282608N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0810131W |
| Event Location Airport | Space Coast Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TIX |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 14 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 34 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 948 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 68 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TIX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 34 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 25 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.78 |
| 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) | 29128 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern 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 13 2011 3:38PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2093U |
| NTSB Number | ERA11CA474 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SCHWEIZER |
| Aircraft Model | 269C-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0344 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 24 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2788 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BRISTOW ACADEMY INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | TITUSVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32780-8124 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | BRISTOW ACADEMY INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | TITUSVILLE |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32780-8124 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | TIX |
| Departure City | Titusville |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 920 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | TIX |
| Destination City | Titusville |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 25 2011 9:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| 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 | -- |