Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Falcon Fld Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mesa, Arizona 85204
Sunday, June 8, 2014 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On June 8, 2014, at 0056 mountain standard time, a McDonnell Douglas Helicopters 369E, N504MP, landed hard following a loss of engine power during cruise flight in Mesa, Arizona. The helicopter was registered to and operated by the City of Mesa (Police Department) as a public-use flight. The commercial pilot and commercial pilot rated tactical flight officer (TFO) were not injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom during the accident sequence. The local flight departed Falcon Field Airport, Mesa, Arizona at 2315 the night prior. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The flight was a routine patrol, and after flying for about 1.4 hours, the pilot performed a series of flight checks in the vicinity of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Once complete, they flew to the north and a short time later while travelling 60-70 knots, about 700 feet above ground level, the pilot heard an uncharacteristic change in engine tone accompanied by a decrease in engine speed. The pilot began to diagnose the problem, during which time a series of caution warnings lights illuminated followed by the engine-out tone.
The pilot immediately initiated an autorotation, aiming for a tree-lined field to the north. The helicopter cleared the trees, and prior to initiating the flare the pilot realized he needed to turn on the landing lights in order to properly see the ground. He was unable to turn them on in time, and he initiated the flare, landing the helicopter level on the skids. The main rotor blades subsequently struck and severed the tailboom just aft of the tail fairing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/8/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 56 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Mesa |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85204 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 332238N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1114743W |
| Event Location Airport | FALCON FLD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FFZ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 6 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 214 |
| Airport Elevation | 1394 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 55 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 280 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KPHX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1135 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| 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) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.67 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KPHX 080751Z 31005KT 10SM CLR 32/00 A2967 RM |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | LAX 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 | Jun 17 2014 7:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N504MP |
| NTSB Number | WPR14TA236 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | 369E |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0523E |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| 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 | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 5 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3 |
| Airframe Hours | 19921 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CITY OF MESA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MESA |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 852152512 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CITY OF MESA |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | MESA |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 852152512 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | FFZ |
| Departure City | Mesa |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | FFZ |
| Destination City | Mesa |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 17 2014 7:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| 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 | -- |