Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Burnham, Maine 04922
Wednesday, July 3, 2013 16:48 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that, during a black bear-tracking flight while flying the helicopter about 50 feet above tree tops at an airspeed of between 10 and 20 knots with a "fairly calm" wind and the engine instruments reading normal, he began a "fading right turn" (that is, a right turn with a sideways component of flight leading into it.) During the turn, the pilot input a "modicum" of left antitorque pedal while slowing. About 2 seconds after initiating the right turn and while the helicopter was about 30 to 40 feet above the trees, the turn escalated into a right (or clockwise) spin about the main rotor axis despite the pilot's left pedal inputs, which is consistent with a sudden loss of tail rotor authority. The helicopter subsequently impacted trees and terrain. The passenger, who had only been flown once previously in a helicopter, reported that the helicopter spun counterclockwise.
Postaccident examinations of the airframe, flight controls, main and tail rotor drive system components, engine, and engine accessories revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Although the pilot and passenger descriptions of the direction of the spin were inconsistent, the lack of any mechanical issue with the helicopter or its engine, the pilot's comment that the engine readings were normal at the start of the turn, and helicopter's flight condition when the loss of control occurred (operating out of ground effect and turning right at a low airspeed) consistent with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Therefore, the helicopter likely entered a right spin during the right turn due to the loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while maneuvering, which resulted in the loss of tail rotor effectiveness, an uncontrolled descent, and an in-flight collision with tress and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's intentional operation at an altitude too low to allow for recovery.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/3/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1648 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Burnham |
| Event State | MAINE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 04922 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 444022N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0692429W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | 1655 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 233 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | WVL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 333 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| 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) | 30.08 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32813 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2014 3:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N888ZW |
| NTSB Number | ERA13LA314 |
| 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 | SIKORSKY |
| Aircraft Model | 269C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S1497 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2050 |
| 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 | May 30 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2233 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | C126 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | POINT OF VIEW HELICOPTER SERVICES LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOWDOINHAM |
| Aircraft Owner State | ME |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 04008-5023 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | POINT OF VIEW HELICOPTER SERVICES LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | BOWDOINHAM |
| Operator State | ME |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 04008-5023 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | WVL |
| Departure City | Waterville |
| Departure State | ME |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1544 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | WVL |
| Destination City | Waterville |
| Destination State | ME |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2014 3:16PM |
| 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 | -- |