Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tombstone, Arizona 85638
Friday, September 12, 2014 11:15 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On September 12, 2014 about 1115 mountain standard time, the pilot of a Bell 206L4, N64AW, initiated a forced landing onto a gravel road following a partial loss of power near Tombstone, Arizona. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Airwest Helicopters LLC under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The commercial rated pilot and one passenger were uninjured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Sierra Vista Municipal Airport – Libby Army Airfield, Sierra Vista, Arizona at 1050 for a local flight.
The pilot reported that during cruise flight the helicopter's RPM suddenly started to decrease, he reduced power and initiated a forced landing. During the approach to land the engine lost complete power and the helicopter impacted the ground hard. Subsequently, the helicopter's skids spread and the main rotor blade severed the tail boom.
The helicopter was recovered to a secure location for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/12/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1115 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Tombstone |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85638 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 314205N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1100313W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| 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 | 1055 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 241 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FHU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4719 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.1 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KFHU 121755Z VRB05KT 10SM FEW070 FEW110 28/14 A301 |
| 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 | 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 | Sep 19 2014 5:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | lins-i |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N64AW |
| NTSB Number | WPR14LA374 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | L4 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 52298 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4550 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 4 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 11 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 67 |
| Airframe Hours | 4297 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AIRWEST HELICOPTERS LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | GLENDALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 853103730 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | AIRWEST HELICOPTERS LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | GLENDALE |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 853103730 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FHU |
| Departure City | Sierra Vista |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1050 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | FHU |
| Destination City | Sierra Vista |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 24 2014 2:40PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| 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 | -- |