Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Kalispell City Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kalispell, Montana 59901
Monday, February 20, 2012 10:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight instructor reported that the helicopter experienced a loss of engine power after the student initiated a practice autorotation about 650 feet above ground level. The flight instructor then assumed control of the helicopter for an emergency landing. However, the helicopter touched down short of the runway, became airborne again, rotated 180 degrees to the left, and landed on the taxiway with the main rotor spinning down. During the postaccident examination, the engine started and ran with no evidence of preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The cause of the reported loss of engine power could not be duplicated.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/20/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Kalispell |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59901 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 481838N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1141522W |
| Event Location Airport | Kalispell City Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | S27 |
| 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 | 1055 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GPI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2977 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.87 |
| 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) | 30880 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Aircraft Operator |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 27 2012 8:57PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N51727 |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA111 |
| 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 | ENSTROM |
| Aircraft Model | F28 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 393 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2200 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 10 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5 |
| Airframe Hours | 1483 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MRR Spraying LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Shelby |
| Aircraft Owner State | MT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 59474 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | James R. Pierce |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Bigfork |
| Operator State | MT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 59911 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | S27 |
| Departure City | Kalispell |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 940 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | S27 |
| Destination City | Kalispell |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 27 2012 8:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 13 |
| Runway Length | 3600 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |