Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Pell City, Alabama 35128
Tuesady, January 21, 2014 15:37 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On January 21, 2014, about 1537 central standard time, a Bell 47D-1, N93067, operated by Milam Inc. was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Pell City, Alabama. The commercial pilot and one passenger received minor injuries. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the business flight, operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, which originated at Birmingham- Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), Birmingham, Alabama about 1330.
According to the pilot, after meeting his passenger at BHM at 1300 they flew to an area just outside of Pell City, Alabama to look at a newly installed alarm system and to take some aerial photographs of the property. After flying around the property and discussing how they could take the photographs, they landed and retrieved a camera from the "chin area" of the helicopter. The pilot then discussed with the passenger how he could fly along the borders of the property so the passenger could take the photographs he desired. They then departed and flew "the plan" they had discussed and then returned to the spot where they had landed before. While descending into the confined area for landing, at 25 to 35 feet above ground level, the pilot heard a "snap/pop" and the engine suddenly began "over-revving." The helicopter began descending, and due to the undulating terrain that was below them the pilot could only extend the flight slightly forward and within approximately 3 seconds, he had used up all of the available rotor speed. The helicopter then touched down hard. The engine was still running but with no rotor motion. The pilot then shutoff the magnetos and the battery switches and then he and passenger exited the helicopter.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the helicopter was substantially damaged. Approximately 4 feet of the tail section including the tail rotor had separated from the helicopter during the ground impact. The airframe and skid mounting tubes were bent; the acrylic cockpit bubble was cracked and broken. One blade of the two blade main rotor system displayed impact damage, and was bent downward and was broken about midspan.
According to FAA and maintenance records, the helicopter was manufactured in 1965. The helicopter's most recent annual inspection was completed on June 9, 2013. At the time of accident, the helicopter had accrued approximately 3,980 total hours of operation.
The helicopter was retained for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/21/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1537 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Pell City |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35128 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 333355N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0861812W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| 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 | 1553 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 90 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KANB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 594 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.03 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern C-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 24 2014 3:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | gots |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N93067 |
| NTSB Number | ERA14LA099 |
| 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 | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 47D1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 5501 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2350 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 3 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 9 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3980 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MILAM INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | TRUSSVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35173 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | MILAM INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | TRUSSVILLE |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 35173 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BHM |
| Departure City | Birmingham |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Pell City |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 24 2014 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | gunt |
| 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 | -- |