Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Bullfrog Basin Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bullfrog, Utah 84716
Tuesady, April 29, 2014 10:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On April 29, 2014, at 1030 mountain daylight time, a Hughes OH-6 helicopter, N37929, was in a 50-foot hover when it started to rotate uncontrollably about 14.5 miles east of the Bullfrog Basin Airport, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Bullfrog, Utah. The pilot executed a hovering autorotation into steeply sloped canyon terrain. After settling on a canyon ledge, the helicopter rolled down hill about 60 feet. The commercial helicopter pilot and other crewmember were seriously injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The United States Department of Agriculture and Wildlife Services operated the helicopter as a public-use flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and a company flight plan was active. The flight originated at Hanksville Airport at 0930.
The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to locate a radio tagged Bighorn sheep. They were hovering about 50 feet above ground level (agl) when the helicopter suddenly yawed to the left in an uncommanded fashion. The pilot lowered the collective and autorotated to a rock ledge. After touching down on the ledge, the helicopter tipped over and tumbled downslope about 60 feet, severing off the tail boom in the process. The pilot egressed the helicopter, used a cell phone to request assistance, and activated his personal locator beacon (SPOT) device. A Utah Highway Patrol helicopter located the aircrew and wreckage, and coordinated a rescue.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/29/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Bullfrog |
| Event State | UTAH |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 84716 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 373345N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1102709E |
| Event Location Airport | Bullfrog Basin Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KU07 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 14 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 4167 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Unknown |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 230 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KPGA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4316 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 67 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| 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) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.33 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | AFRCC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 21 2014 7:40PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N37929 |
| NTSB Number | WPR14TA176 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | OH 6 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 67-16133 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | -- |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | USDA APHIS WS ATOC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | CEDAR CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 847218412 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | USDA APHIS WS ATOC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | CEDAR CITY |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 847218412 |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KHVE |
| Departure City | Hanksville |
| Departure State | UT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Sandy Ranch |
| Destination State | UT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 22 2014 10:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |