Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Jekyll Island Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Jekyll Island, Georgia 31527
Thursday, May 9, 2013 14:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
As part of the training and evaluation flight, the pilot was demonstrating to the instructor a simulated engine failure and autorotation to touchdown with the engine throttle at the idle setting throughout the maneuver. At the termination of the maneuver, the pilot increased collective pitch to stretch the glide, and the rotor rpm was allowed to decay to the lower end of the normal operating range. He then “abruptly” flared the helicopter to slow its ground speed and added additional collective pitch to level the helicopter. The rotor rpm decayed further, the helicopter landed hard, and the main rotor struck the tailboom, severing the tail rotor driveshaft. Both pilots reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm in the normal operating range during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the inadequate supervision by the flight instructor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/9/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Jekyll Island |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31527 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 310417N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0812524W |
| Event Location Airport | Jekyll Island |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 09J |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 360 |
| Airport Elevation | 11 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSSI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 11 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| 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) | 30.12 |
| 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) | 32659 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Operator |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 13 2014 11:52AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N927SP |
| NTSB Number | ERA13TA237 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | OH-58C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 69-16301 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| 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 | Feb 27 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 21 |
| Airframe Hours | 9837 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GEORGIA AVIATION AUTHORITY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | KENNESAW |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30144 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | GEORGIA AVIATION AUTHORITY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | KENNESAW |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 30144 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 09J |
| Departure City | Jekyll Island |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1350 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 09J |
| Destination City | Jekyll Island |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 13 2014 11:53AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 36 |
| Runway Length | 3715 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |