Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Cleburne Rgnl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cleburne, Texas 76031
Friday, April 25, 2014 14:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The student pilot was air taxiing the helicopter with an instructor pilot on board. When the student pilot slowed to a hover taxi, the helicopter began bucking violently fore and aft. The helicopter descended and came to rest on its side. A postaccident examination of the wreckage and accident site revealed ground scars consistent with main and tail rotor blade strikes, which were consistent with the aft left skid and tail rotor contacting the ground while the helicopter was moving aft. A helicopter is customarily pitched with its tail low when the pilot performs a quick stop from an air taxi. Tail rotor drive shaft deformation was consistent with the tail rotor blade contacting the ground while being driven. No preimpact anomalies were detected that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter. The evidence indicates that the student pilot allowed the tail rotor and aft skid to contact the ground as the helicopter slowed during the transition to hover taxi. The instructor did not anticipate the situation or intervene in a timely manner, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and rollover.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot's failure to maintain tail rotor clearance from terrain while transitioning to a hover taxi and the instructor pilot's inadequate remedial action to prevent the impending tail rotor contact.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/25/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Cleburne |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76031 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 322113N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0972602W |
| Event Location Airport | CLEBURNE RGNL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CPT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 220 |
| Airport Elevation | 854 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 135 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 346 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KCPT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 854 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KCPT 251935Z AUTO 12011KT 10SM CLR 28/06 A3000 RMK |
| 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) | 33208 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-ASW-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 23 2014 6:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | male |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N90636 |
| NTSB Number | CEN14LA222 |
| 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 | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 269A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 570708 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1670 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 24 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3733 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SEGERSTROM RICKY G TRUSTEE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | GRANDVIEW |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76050 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | SEGERSTROM RICKY G TRUSTEE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | GRANDVIEW |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 76050 |
| 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 | CPT |
| Departure City | Cleburne |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | CPT |
| Destination City | Cleburne |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 26 2014 9:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | male |
| 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 | -- |