Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Rowan County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Salisbury, North Carolina 28147
Saturday, March 8, 2014 12:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
At the time of the accident, simultaneous operations were being conducted at the airport. Airplanes were in left traffic for landing on runway 20, and military helicopters were in right traffic landing to a midfield helipad on the west (right) side of the runway. According to the flight instructor (CFI) in the accident airplane, the student pilot completed three touch-and-go landings and proceeded around the pattern for a fourth landing. During the landing the airplane approached the runway as a helicopter "suddenly lifted to a hover." Several witness statements and security video revealed that the 2,150-pound airplane followed behind an airplane that landed on the runway, and passed abeam an 18,000-pound Army utility helicopter on final approach to the helipad, before it banked sharply to the right and impacted terrain. Post-accident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed partial separation of the right wing and substantial damage to the fuselage. The CFI reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
According to the FAA's Aeronautical Information Manual, section 7-3-7:
In a slow hover taxi or stationary hover near the surface, helicopter main rotor(s) generate down wash producing high velocity outwash vortices to a distance approximately three times the diameter of the rotor. When rotor downwash hits the surface, the resulting outwash vortices have behavioral characteristics similar to wing tip vortices produced by fixed wing aircraft. However, the vortex circulation is outward, upward, around, and away from the main rotor(s) in all directions. Pilots of small aircraft should avoid operating within three rotor diameters of any helicopter in a slow hover taxi or stationary hover. In forward flight, departing or landing helicopters produce a pair of strong, high-speed trailing vortices similar to wing tip vortices of larger fixed wing aircraft. Pilots of small aircraft should use caution when operating behind or crossing behind landing and departing helicopters.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's decision to continue the landing in close proximity to a landing helicopter, resulting in an encounter with rotor vortices, loss of airplane control, and collision with terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/8/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1200 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Salisbury |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28147 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 353845N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0803113W |
| Event Location Airport | Rowan County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RUQ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 772 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 1130 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RUQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 772 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| 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) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| 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) | 30.06 |
| 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) | 32833 |
| 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 | Jul 8 2014 10:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4335T |
| NTSB Number | ERA14CA150 |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-140 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7225149 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 13 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 68 |
| Airframe Hours | 7395 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JULEP ARBOR FLYING LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALISBURY |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 281448847 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | JULEP ARBOR FLYING LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SALISBURY |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 281448847 |
| 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 | RUQ |
| Departure City | Salisbury |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | RUQ |
| Destination City | Salisbury |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 8 2014 10:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 20 |
| Runway Length | 5501 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |