Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Accident occurred May 28, 2014 at Hefner-Easley Airport (H68), Wagoner, Oklahoma

UNREGISTERED ULTRALIGHT CRASHED OFF THE RUNWAY AT HEFNER EASLEY AIRPORT NEAR WAGONER, OK 

FAA Oklahoma City FSDO-15: http://www.asias.faa.gov

Pilot identified as Marvin McGrath, 54, after single-engine plane crashes in Wagoner County  


TULSA - The pilot of a ultralight plane that crashed Wednesday evening is receiving treatment at a Tulsa hospital.

Marvin McGrath, 54, was the only person on board when his plane crashed at the Wagoner airport while doing touch-and-gos.

The accident happened just east of Wagoner around 8:30 p.m.

McGrath was transported by helicopter to St. John Hospital. 

Joy McGill, hospital spokeswoman, tells 2NEWS McGrath is in fair condition as of Thursday morning.

According to Wagoner police, agents with the Federal Aviation Administration will begin an investigation into the crash Thursday.





WAGONER — The pilot of an ultralight airplane was flown to a Tulsa hospital after the aircraft crashed near the Wagoner airport Wednesday evening.

Just before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, the pilot called Wagoner County dispatch to report a problem with the plane, and it crashed just east of the Hefner-Easley Airport soon thereafter, a dispatcher said. The Sheriff’s Office then called the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to secure the accident scene, he said.

Wagoner County Emergency Management Director Heath Underwood said the pilot, who was the single-engine plane's only occupant, was flown to a Tulsa hospital.


FAA public affairs spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the pilot was practicing takeoff and landing procedures in an ultralight aircraft when it crashed. The pilot had “serious” injuries, he said.

Pilots are not required to register ultralight aircraft, Lunsford said. 


Source:    http://m.tulsaworld.com

Bell OH-13E Sioux, N51853: Accident occurred May 28, 2014 in Little Falls, Minnesota

N51853 TEXAS HELICOPTER 0H-13H ROTORCRAFT CRASHED DURING AERIAL APPLICATION 10 MILES FROM LITTLE FALLS, MN 

FAA Minneapolis FSDO-15: http://www.asias.faa.gov

OLEEN GARY E, N51853:  http://registry.faa.gov/N51853

A St. Cloud farmer is in critical condition today crashing his crop dusting helicopter into a barn in Ripley Township late this morning.

Morrison County Sheriff, Sheriff Michel Wetzel says, the pilot was 71-year old Gary Oleen. They say it happened on Haven Road just north of 233rd Street in Ripley Township, near Camp Ripley around 10:15AM.

Todd Sand, one of the farmer’s workers, told us he was the second person to reach the Oleen, who was knocked unconscious, but was still breathing after the crash. Sand says he doesn’t know how badly Oleen was hurt, but he didn’t see any blood on the pilot. Sand says he found Oleen dangling by his safety harness in the helicopter.

A witness told Sand he saw the helicopter spiral down and crash into the east side of the building. Sand says the main rotor separated from the helicopter during the crash and spewed oil everywhere.

Sand says, “When I first found out I took off from the truck and went screaming down to the farm. He was actually on top of the building but inside the building all at the same time. So yeah screaming his name and there was no response and I got a ladder real quick and went to the outside of the building, climbed up the oily roof and there was no response. That’s when the farmer, Farmer Jim, he called 9-1-1 and went from there.”

Wetzel says, “This was an extremely difficult and challenging rescue with the precarious position of the victim and his helicopter.”

Sand says he tried to help the pilot but he was unsure if his extra weight on the partially collapsed roof would case the helicopter to fall further through the roof.


Sheriffs says they firefighters used an aerial ladder truck to pull Oleen out of the wreckage.

Sand says Life Link airlifted the farmer to St. Cloud Hospital and no one else was injured during the crash. He says, although there was oil and smoke coming out of the exhaust the building nor helicopter caught on fire.


Source:   http://lptv.org

Crop duster air lifted to St. Cloud Hospital after crashing into barn roof 

A St. Cloud man is in critical condition after the crop duster he was piloting crashed into a barn roof, off Haven Road, north of 233rd Street in Ripley Township.

Gary Earl Oleen, 71, crashed about 10:18 a.m. this morning. Morrison County deputies, along with firefighters from the Little Falls police Department and Camp Ripley Fire and Emergency Services found Oleen in the helicopter, but were not able to immediately get to him to render aid due to the fact the helicopter had been crashed through the roof of the barn, but not through the interior ceiling.

Firefighters were ultimately able to remove the pilot utilizing an aerial ladder truck from the Little Falls Fire Department. The pilot was airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital.

Morrison County Sheriff Michel Wertzel said the FAA is assisting in the investigation and the cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

“This was an extremely difficult and challenging rescue with the precarious position of the victim and his helicopter. Firefighters and personnel from both Gold Cross and North Memorial Ambulance, along with Morrison County deputies did an outstanding job of quickly and safely removing the victim from the wreckage under extremely dangerous and challenging conditions,” said Wetzel. “The sheriff’s office was also assisted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the FAA.”

Source:  http://mcrecord.com


Boeing Dreamliner Cleared for Expanded Long-Range Flying: Airlines Will Still Have to Demonstrate to Local Regulators That They Meet Safety Requirements

The Wall Street Journal
By Jon Ostrower

May 28, 2014 4:45 p.m. ET

Boeing Co. said on Wednesday that U.S. air-safety regulators cleared its 787-8 Dreamliner to operate on a wider range of routes, with the jet able to handle longer oceanic and polar crossings as much as 5½ hours from a suitable landing field in the event of an emergency.

The twin-engine 787 has been limited to flying within three hours of a diversion airport since its introduction in 2011, when Boeing had first intended to secure Federal Aviation Administration approval. The expansion was stymied by reliability issues and the grounding of the Dreamliner for 3½ months in 2013 after incidents involving burning lithium-ion batteries on two aircraft.

The new approval clears Dreamliners to fly as far as 330 minutes from a landing site in the event of a loss of one of its two engines, a major mechanical failure or other problem. Airlines will still have to demonstrate to local regulators that they meet requirements such as fire-suppression and other safety systems before starting such routes.

Dreamliner engine makers General Electric Co. and Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC were cleared separately by regulators to allow airlines to fly the extended routes.

The performance extension is particularly important for airlines based in the Southern Hemisphere that fly long routes over water. Air New Zealand Ltd. is slated to take delivery of the first of the larger Dreamliner models—known as the 787-9—in the middle of the year.

A Boeing spokeswoman said the company expects to secure approval to fly the 787-9 on the extended routes when the jet is certified by the U.S. aviation regulator later this year, but added "that will be up to the FAA."

"Our customers are eager to expand their 787 operations," said Larry Loftis, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, in a statement.

Flights that travel between three and 5½ hours from backup airports are a tiny fraction of total airline flying, but the capability was an important selling point for the 787. Boeing touted its ability to more efficiently link distant cities where demand didn't justify a larger jetliner.

Latam Airlines Group, parent company of LAN Airlines, has been eager to swap its four-engine Airbus A340s with its 787-8s on its route connecting Santiago, Chile, with Auckland, New Zealand, across the South Pacific, which would only be possible with the Dreamliner's extended flying approval.

Originally signifying rules only for two-engine long-range jetliners, the FAA in 2007 set out requirements for its Etops, or "extended operations," rules to cover all long-range operations, regardless of engines. The rules outlined that aircraft systems had to meet certain reliability standards and include specific fire-suppression, oxygen and electrical power system backups.

The 787-8 joins Boeing's 777 models as the only twin-engine jets to have secured the 330-minute flight approval. Airbus has indicated to customers and regulators that it wants its A350 to fly as much as 420 minutes from an alternate landing field.

Three- and four-engine aircraft manufactured since 2007 will be covered under the expanded FAA requirements starting in 2015.

The approval by the FAA is a major boost for the Dreamliner, which has been dogged by high-profile reliability issues.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating one of the two 2013 battery incidents, urged aviation regulators last week to revamp how advanced battery technology is tested and certified on various airliner models. The agency last week suggested the FAA review its original approvals for the batteries or even potentially repeat testing on some Boeing 777 and 737 models. The Dreamliner was cleared to re-enter service in April 2013 after Boeing developed a containment and venting system for the batteries in the event of a failure.

Boeing said that it welcomed the recommendations by the NTSB and would "work with the FAA and other affected stakeholders" as it considers the suggestions. Separately, the FAA in March reaffirmed the jet's design was safe, but acknowledged its certification processes required an overhaul.

Source:  http://online.wsj.com

Aircraft face risk of crash in cold weather, report says

An investigation into a deadly crash involving an RCMP helicopter near Vancouver two years ago has prompted the Transportation Safety Board to warn that more than 500 similar aircraft across the country are at an increased risk when taking off in cold weather.

The board’s report notes procedures for clearing water, snow and ice from the aircraft’s engine system weren’t followed, despite more than a decade of warnings from the manufacturer, and the board says it’s concerned other pilots may not fully understand the risks or be following the proper procedures to mitigate them.

The safety board released a report Wednesday into a January, 2012, crash on Department of National Defence land at Cultus Lake, about 100 kilometres southeast of Vancouver. The pilot died.

The Eurocopter AS350 was in the area conducting training exercises in light snow, with temperatures around -10 C. Heavy snow covered the aircraft during a lunch break. Exercises were cancelled for the rest of the day and the pilot lifted off to return to Vancouver’s airport.

“Soon afterward, there was a muffled bang and a puff of grey/white vapour from the exhaust area,” the report says.

“At the same time, the customary and familiar sounds from the engine rapidly disappeared, and the regular slapping sound of the rotor blades quieted significantly.” The helicopter fell rapidly and hit the ground nose-first, fatally injuring the pilot, who was described as “highly experienced and competent.”

The investigation determined water, snow and ice had built up in the helicopter’s engine air-intake system, in part because protective covers were not installed when the aircraft was left outside in the snow. When the pilot prepared for takeoff, the system wasn’t properly inspected and the buildup wasn’t cleared.

France-based Eurocopter and its predecessor, AĆ©rospatiale, issued warnings as far back as 1985 that even small amounts of water can cause the engine to flame out, particularly after takeoff.

Eurocopter has recommended a number of measures to reduce the risk, such as the installation of protective covers and preflight inspections to detect and clear water, ice and snow.

But the Transportation Safety Board report says Eurocopter’s most recent warning before the crash, in 2011, didn’t appear to be widely distributed to RCMP pilots, though it was included in the aircraft’s operations manual.

Such an inspection is complicated and isn’t practical for pilots and crews to complete in the field, the report says.

Further, the board says its investigation revealed pilots in various commercial operators across the country appeared to be unaware of the safety notices or misunderstood the nature of the risk.

There are more than 500 Eurocopter AS350 and EC130 helicopters with the same engine intake design in use across Canada.

The board says it held a meeting of AS350 operators, with eight from B.C. attending. “None were aware that ice could form in the plenum between the filter and the engine,” the report says.

Transport Canada is currently reviewing the design of the helicopter’s engine inlet design.

The safety board report says the RCMP has taken numerous steps since the crash to ensure pilots and crews are aware of the risks and procedures related to operating Eurocopter helicopters in cold weather with the presence of water, ice and snow.

Immediately after the crash, the force issued a reminder to all pilots about the requirements for clean aircraft and were directed to review all operating manuals.

Pilots now receive cold weather and warm weather briefings before the start of each season.

Source:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com

Piper PA-25-235 Pawnee, N8808L, Soaring Society of Boulder Inc: Accident occurred May 28, 2014 in Boulder, Colorado

http://registry.faa.gov/N8808L

NTSB Identification: CEN14LA261 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, May 28, 2014 in Boulder, CO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/15/2014
Aircraft: PIPER PA-25-235, registration: N8808L
Injuries: 1 Minor.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot reported that the accident occurred during his fifth glider aero-tow flight since the airplane had last been refueled. He stated that the aero-tow and glider release were uneventful. However, as he was returning to the departure airport, the engine began to run intermittently before it eventually experienced a total loss of engine power. During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane became entangled with a chain-link fence and impacted a road before it slid into a drainage ditch. A postaccident examination of the airplane’s single fuel tank established that it was undamaged and void of any usable fuel. Before the first flight of the day, the airplane was refueled, and the total usable fuel was about 32.5 gallons. The airplane recording tachometer indicated that 2.2 tachometer hours had been accumulated since that time. Although the airplane operator reported that, according to historical fueling and flight data, the airplane’s average fuel consumption rate was about 10.2 gallons per tachometer hour, the calculated average fuel consumption rate was 14.8 gallons per tachometer hour since the last refueling. Although the total loss of engine power was caused by fuel exhaustion, the investigation could not determine the reason for the above-normal fuel consumption rate. However, if the pilot had determined the actual fuel consumption rate between flights, he should have identified that insufficient fuel was available to complete the accident flight.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's failure to adequately monitor the airplane's actual fuel consumption rate, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

On May 28, 2014, about 1500 mountain daylight time, a Piper model PA-25-235 airplane, N8808L, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Boulder, Colorado. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the Soaring Society of Boulder under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local glider aero-tow flight that departed Boulder Municipal Airport (BDU), Boulder, Colorado, about 1430.

The pilot reported that the purpose of the accident flight was to aero-tow a glider to 10,200 feet mean sea level (msl) before returning to the departure airport. He stated that the aero-tow and glider release were uneventful. However, as the airplane was returning to BDU, the engine began to run intermittently as the airplane crossed over the foothills southwest of the airport. The engine eventually lost total power around 10,000 feet msl. The pilot reported that he did not attempt to restart the engine following the loss of engine power. He initially thought that the airplane had sufficient altitude to safely glide to the airport, but it ultimately descended to altitude that required an off-airport landing. He decided to land on a nearby soccer field; however, as he approached the field he realized that there were power lines situated alongside the road that bordered the soccer field. The airplane landing gear collided with a chain-link fence as he maneuvered the airplane below the power lines. After the landing gear became entangled with the fence, the airplane collided with the road before it came to rest in a drainage ditch. The right wing sustained substantial damage during the collision with the fence and terrain.

The airplane's single fuel tank held 38 gallons, of which 2 gallons were considered unusable. The pilot reported that, before his first flight of the day, the fuel level was about 1-inch from the top of the filler neck and that the fuel quantity sight gauge indicated that the tank was near capacity. The airplane operator reported that a 1-inch void at the top of the tank equated to about 3.5 gallons of unused tank capacity. Therefore, before the pilot's first flight of the day, the total useable fuel was about 32.5 gallons. 

The recording tachometer indicated 3,607.7 hours before the pilot's first flight of the day and 3,609.9 hours following the accident, equating to 2.2 tachometer hours having been accumulated since the last refueling. The calculated average fuel consumption rate was about 14.8 gallons per tachometer hour since the last refueling.

The airplane operator reported that, according to historical fueling and flight data, obtained from January-March 2014, the airplane's average fuel consumption rate was about 10.2 gallons per tachometer hour. Additionally, the previous pilot had flown 13 aero-tows with an average fuel consumption rate of 10.3 gallons per tachometer hour. The previous pilot also confirmed that he had refueled the airplane following his final flight, and left a 1-inch void at the top of the fuel tank.

The airplane was equipped with a fuel quantity sight gauge that was calibrated to correctly indicate when there was 10 gallons of usable fuel remaining. The operator's standard operating procedure was to refuel the airplane whenever the sight gauge indicated 10 gallons remaining.

The accident pilot reported that the airplane had accumulated 1.9 tachometer hours during his first 4 aero-tow flights and that there was slightly more than 10 gallons when he referenced the fuel quantity sight gauge before the accident flight. The investigation determined that the average fuel consumption rate for the previous 4 flights was at least 11.3 gallons per hour. According to the pilot, the accident flight departed at 3,609.6 tachometer hours, and it indicated 3,609.9 at the accident site. As such, the duration of the accident flight was at least 0.3 tachometer hours before the engine lost power.

An on-site examination was completed by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector with the Denver Flight Standards District Office. The FAA inspector reported that his visual examination of the airplane's single fuel tank established that it was undamaged and void of any useable fuel.

At 1456, the BDU weather observing system reported: calm wind, 10 miles visibility, clear sky conditions, temperature 30 degrees Celsius, dew point 5 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches-of-mercury.

NTSB Identification: CEN14LA261
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, May 28, 2014 in Boulder, CO
Aircraft: PIPER PA-25-235, registration: N8808L
Injuries: 1 Minor.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On May 28, 2014, about 1500 mountain daylight time, a Piper model PA-25-235 airplane, N8808L, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Boulder, Colorado. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the Soaring Society of Boulder under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local glider aero-tow flight that departed Boulder Municipal Airport (BDU), Boulder, Colorado, about 1430.

The pilot reported that the purpose of the accident flight was to aero-tow a glider to 11,000 feet mean sea level (msl) before returning to the departure airport. He stated that the aero-tow and glider release were uneventful. However, as the airplane was returning to BDU the engine began to run intermittently as the airplane crossed over the foothills southwest of the airport. The engine eventually lost total power around 10,000 feet msl. The pilot reported that he did not attempt to restart the engine following the loss of engine power. He initially thought that the airplane had sufficient altitude to safely glide to the airport, but it ultimately descended to altitude that required an off-airport landing. He decided to land on a nearby soccer field; however, as he approached the field he realized that there were power lines situated alongside the road that bordered the soccer field. The airplane landing gear collided with a chain-link fence as he maneuvered the airplane below the power lines. After the landing gear became entangled with the fence, the airplane collided with the road before coming to a stop in a drainage ditch. The right wing sustained substantial damage during the collision with the fence and terrain.

A postaccident investigation was completed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector with the Denver Flight Standards District Office. The FAA inspector reported that his visual examination of the airplane's single fuel tank established that it was undamaged and void of any fuel.

At 1456, the BDU weather observing system reported: calm wind, 10 miles visibility, clear sky conditions, temperature 30 degrees Celsius, dew point 5 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.10 inches-of-mercury.





BOULDER, Colo. — A single-engine plane landed on its belly just shy of soccer fields near the Boulder Municipal Airport Wednesday afternoon, according to the Boulder Police Department. 

The incident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday near the Pleasant View soccer fields at 3805 47th Street.

According to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, the small plane, which is a tow plane owned by the Soaring Society of Boulder, had just safely released a glider it was towing when something malfunctioned.

The pilot attempted to land in the soccer fields around the airport, which are designated emergency landing areas.

Power lines forced the pilot to fly the plane low; his plane caught on a fence and the pilot had to land the aircraft short of the soccer fields.

Police said it was a soft landing. They didn’t want to call it a crash at this point.

The male pilot managed to get out of the cockpit. He was being checked out by emergency crews, and sustained minor injuries, added deputies. But he was walking around and talking.

There was no one in the field at the time of the incident.

Officers said the Federal Aviation Administration was notified of the crash.


Story, video, photo gallery and comments/reaction:  http://kdvr.com

A single-engine plane landed in a Boulder soccer field near the Boulder Municipal Airport May 28, 2014.
 (Photo: SkyFOX)














 A pilot who had been towing gliders above the Boulder foothills was able to able to walk away with minor injuries from a crash-landing northwest of the intersection of Iris Avenue and Foothills Parkway this afternoon.

The crash was reported just before 3 p.m. Initial police scanner reports had the plane coming down on soccer fields, but witnesses say it is on a grassy area near playing fields at Kalmia and Pinedale.

The plane is owned by the Soaring Society of Boulder Inc., according to FAA records.

Bob Faris, of the Soaring Society of Boulder, said the pilot, who has not yet been identified, but is a member of the club, was "experienced," and was on his way back to Boulder Municipal Airport when he crashed.

"He was coming back from towing gliders up to the hills," Faris said.

Boulder County sheriff's Deputy Steve Kellison said, "The glider had disconnected well before any problems."

Kellison said the pilot was trying to make it to the Iris soccer fields, as that's considered a designated safe landing zone. The plane crashed about 10 feet from the fence bordering the fields.

According to police dispatchers, the pilot was able to get out of the cockpit.

"He walked away from it a little banged up. Minor injuries," Kellison said.

The pilot was transported to Boulder Community Health.

According to FAA records, the plane is a single-engine, fixed-wing Piper PA-25-235 owned by the Soaring Society of Boulder Inc.

"It was more of a soft landing than a crash because he came in on his belly," Laurie Ogden, a spokeswoman with the Boulder police, said this afternoon.

She said the Federal Aviation Administration has been notified about the incident and will be in charge of releasing more information about the cause.

Story, video and photos:   http://www.dailycamera.com

Trenton Mercer Airport (KTTN), New Jersey: Mercer County Sheriff's Officers revive ailing Hamilton man aboard Frontier Airlines plane

Mercer County Sheriff's Officers Ralph MacKelvey and Anibal Santos helped revive a Hamilton man believed to be having a heart attack aboard a Frontier Airlines plane on Wednesday, May 28. 
(Courtesy Mercer County Sheriff's Office.)


EWING -- A pair of quick-acting Mercer County Sheriff's Officers may have saved a life early this morning when they revived a medically distressed man aboard a Frontier Airlines plane at Trenton-Mercer Airport, officials said.

Frontier Airlines flight 593 was heading for heading for Nashville,Tenn., and was preparing for departure at 6 a.m. when a 68-year-old passenger became seriously ill.

The Hamilton man, whom authorities did not identify, was unresponsive, his breathing was shallow and he was believed to be suffering a heart attack, a release from the Mercer County Sheriff's Office said.

Officers Anibal Santos and Ralph MacKelvey responded and the pair tended to the man, administering oxygen and using a defibrillator to shock his heart. The pair continued to administer CPR until medical crews arrived, the release said.

The man was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton, where he was in stable condition, the release said.

“I would like to extend my deepest concern for the wellbeing of the cardiac victim today and for his family,” Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler said in the release. “These highly trained officers are part of the Sheriff’s Office all-important Airport Unit and deserve our praise.”

County Executive Brian Hughes also congratulated the officers.

"We are hopeful for a speedy recovery for the patient, and our thoughts are with him and his family," Hughes said in the release. "I heartily commend these Mercer County Sheriff Officers for their professionalism.” 


Story, photo and comments/reaction:  http://www.nj.com

Fayette County, Texas

Fayette Co. officials: No one injured in small plane crash

From the Fayette County Sheriff's Office:

Fayette County Sheriff Keith Korenek reports that a pilot made an emergency landing just short of the runway at the Fayette County Regional Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

Sheriff Korenek advised that the Fayette County Sheriff’s Dispatch received a call from the Austin Air Traffic Control informing that a small aircraft was in distress and attempting to make an emergency landing in LaGrange. The Pilot reported that his plane was on fire and then the Control Center lost radio contact.

Emergency responders from the Sheriff’s Office, Fayette County EMS, LaGrange Fire Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety responded to the airport. The small aircraft, a fixed wing single engine, failed to make the runway and was found in a swampy area near Old Lockhart Road.

The 81 year old pilot was able to make the strategic landing with minimal damage to the aircraft and with no personal injury to himself or his wife, the 71 year old passenger. The couple was traveling from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Fredericksburg, Texas when the problems arose. The incident was investigated by Texas State Trooper Greg Trojacek.


Source:  http://www.statesman.com


Robinson R44 Raven II, N392GP, Global Positioning Services Inc: Fatal accident occurred May 28, 2014 in Chugiak, Alaska

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Anchorage, Alaska
Robinson Helicopter; Torrance, California
Lycoming Engines; Van Nuys, California 

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

Investigation Docket  - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N392GP

NTSB Identification: ANC14FA030
14 CFR Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
Accident occurred Wednesday, May 28, 2014 in Chugiak, AK
Probable Cause Approval Date: 08/09/2017
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II, registration: N392GP
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The accident flight was one of several recent practice external-load flights that the pilot had been conducting with a 150-ft long-line and weighted barrel. The helicopter approached the airport from the north and then hovered over the approach end of runway 20R. At the time, two airplanes were in the airport traffic pattern for runway 20R, another was in the airport vicinity, and a fourth was departing from runway 2R toward the hovering helicopter. One witness reported hearing the accident pilot attempt to communicate with the departing northbound airplane, but no response was heard, and the airplane passed close to the helicopter. After the northbound airplane passed by, the helicopter moved to its normal landing area on the east ramp, and the accident pilot responded to another pilot's query as to his intentions by stating that he was landing. Immediately after the pilot's response, the helicopter suddenly pitched up, rolled left, and descended to the ground. 

Examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airframe, systems, or powerplant. Damage to the main rotor and associated ground scars and wreckage distribution were consistent with the rotor system operating at normal rpm during the impact sequence. Damage to the helicopter and the location of the main rotor ground scar were consistent with the helicopter having collided with the ground in an extreme left roll. The long-line remained attached to the barrel but was not attached to the helicopter's cargo hook, and the disconnected end was near the main wreckage. The relative orientation of the long-line and the main wreckage indicated that the line was still attached to the helicopter when the helicopter moved laterally at some point; however, no known witness observed when or how smoothly the line and load were released.

Maneuvering a helicopter to land during external load operations requires precision in both helicopter control and timing of load release. Although the accident pilot's workload was increased by the demands of maintaining traffic separation and communicating on the radio in the busy, nontowered airport environment, there was no evidence to suggest that such an operation was beyond his skill level, particularly given his recent practice. The accident pilot was based at BCV and, in the 2 weeks before the accident, had conducted seven flights (including the accident flight) with a 150-foot long-line in the accident helicopter; in the preceding 90 days, the pilot had flown almost 60 hours, most of which involved autorotations, hover maneuvers, and long-line practice.

The pilot's autopsy identified severe coronary artery disease with greater than 75% stenosis in two main arteries. In addition, scarring in the left ventricle was identified, which indicated that the pilot had experienced a previous heart attack. Although the pilot had sought and received in recent years medical care that included cardiac testing, there is no evidence that his previous heart attack was ever diagnosed (research has shown that the tests are not always accurate), and he was not taking any preventive medication. Given the presence of two severely stenotic lesions in two main arteries, the presence of scarring from a previous heart attack, and the absence of medication to prevent a recurrent cardiac event, the accident pilot's likelihood for experiencing another acute cardiac event was inevitable. An acute cardiac event would likely leave no identifiable evidence on autopsy and cause symptoms ranging in severity from impairing (such as chest pain and shortness of breath or palpitations) to incapacitating (fainting from low blood pressure or sudden cardiac death). Considering the precision required while maneuvering to land with an external load, any level of impairment could result in catastrophic consequences; therefore, the pilot likely experienced a sudden, acute cardiac event that adversely affected his performance.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's loss of control of the helicopter due to impairment or incapacitation from a sudden, acute cardiac event.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On May 28, 2014, at 1433 Alaska daylight time, a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter, N392GP, collided with the ground and caught fire while maneuvering for landing during an external-load flight at Birchwood Airport (BCV), Chugiak, Alaska. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the helicopter was destroyed by the ground impact and postimpact fire. The flight was operated by Global Positioning Services, Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local flight departed BCV about 1315.

According to the operator's representative, the pilot had been conducting practice flights with a 150-ft long-line attached to a fluid-filled, 55-gallon barrel in preparation for an upcoming project. Satellite flight-following data provided by the operator (the helicopter was equipped with a Latitude Technologies system that recorded data in 2-minute intervals) showed that the entire flight remained within 5 nautical miles (nm) of the airport, maneuvering near the airport and northeast along the coast of Knik Arm. 

Several witnesses at the airport said that they saw the helicopter flying on the day of the accident with the barrel suspended beneath it by the long-line. One witness, who was a pilot flying his airplane near the airport with a passenger, said that he heard the accident pilot provide position reports over the airport common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) about every half mile, beginning from about 5 miles out as the helicopter approached BCV from the north. When the helicopter arrived at the airport, the witness observed it hover over the approach end of runway 20R (the longer of the airport's two parallel runways). The witness recalled that, in addition to his airplane, one airplane was flying on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 20R, a second airplane was flying southbound east of the highway, and a third airplane was departing from runway 2R (the shorter parallel runway). The witness said that he heard the accident pilot communicate over the CTAF to the departing airplane several times, "Did you hear me?" but there was no response from the pilot of the departing airplane. Both the witness in the airplane and another on the ground said that the departing airplane appeared to pass close to the hovering helicopter as the airplane headed north and left the area. 

The witness in the airplane intended to land on runway 20R, so he maneuvered his airplane to wait for the helicopter to clear the runway. As the helicopter transitioned east toward the ramp where it normally landed, he asked the helicopter pilot over the CTAF his intentions. The witness reported that the helicopter pilot responded, "landing," then there was a "click" over the radio, and the helicopter suddenly pitched nose-up, rolled over to the left, descended, and crashed. The passenger in the witness' airplane said that the helicopter pitched "way nose up," rolled left, then descended near vertically to the ground. The passenger witness demonstrated the movement with his hand, illustrating that the helicopter's motion was sudden, and its left roll was extreme before it descended straight down to the ground. 

Multiple witnesses on the ground reported hearing "pop" or "bang" noises, and one reported "two cracks and a loud boom." None of these witnesses had the helicopter in view when they heard the noises, and no known witnesses saw in detail the relative positions of the helicopter, its long-line, and the load during the accident sequence. One ground witness, who was in a hangar adjacent to the accident site, reported that the helicopter's engine made a high-pitch sound followed by two loud "bang" noises that came a few seconds apart. When he looked to see what made the sound, he saw the helicopter on the ground in flames with the smoke blowing toward the hangar. 

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for rotorcraft helicopter. He held a second-class Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman medical certificate issued April 1, 2014, with the limitation "must wear corrective lenses." The pilot's logbook recorded that his most recent flight review, as required by Special Federal Aviation Regulation 73, Section 2(c)(2) and (3), was completed in the Robinson R-44 on July 1, 2013.

According to the pilot's logbook, as of May 23, 2014, the pilot had accumulated 2,174 hours total flight time, including 2,061.3 hours pilot-in-command (PIC) time, all of which was in helicopters. All of the pilot's flight time recorded in the logbook (which was the second book of two and began with an entry dated April 30, 2010, and 656.5 total flight hours) was accumulated in Robinson R-44 helicopters (primarily, the accident helicopter). The pilot completed a Robinson Helicopter Company pilot safety course and R-44 flight training in November 2008.

In the 90 days before the accident, the pilot had accumulated 59.5 hours, and his logbook indicated that most of these flights involved proficiency practice such as autorotations, hover maneuvers, and flights with a 50-, 100-, or 150-ft long-line. The pilot had conducted seven flights (including the accident flight) with a 150-foot long-line in the accident helicopter in the 2 weeks before the accident. 

According to the pilot's spouse, the day of the accident was a normal day for the pilot. She said that he typically slept about 8 hours per night, had gone to bed before 2300 the night before the accident, and had awakened about 0630 that morning, which was typical for him. She could recall nothing abnormal about his schedule or sleep in the days before the accident. She noted that he was interested in being proficient with the long-line because he had an upcoming project that would involve lowering an all-terrain-vehicle (ATV) to a site, and he wanted to make sure he would not damage the ATV in the process. She said that the pilot had been researching the way that the barrel swings, even studying at home how a weighted string reacts to motion. She described his interest in the long-line training and research as excitement, not concern or apprehension.

The pilot's spouse described that the pilot was very dedicated to keeping in shape and staying healthy and that he exercised regularly. She said that he had no recent health concerns other than mild cold- or pollen-related symptoms within the past 6 weeks, but the symptoms had cleared.

In response to questions, the pilot's spouse stated that her husband did not have a cardiologist, only a primary care physician. She recalled that the pilot had some kind of heart-related "scare" perhaps 3 or 4 years before the accident and that the primary care physician performed testing on the pilot at that time. She recalled that some of the tests performed may have been subject to misreading and had to be done again or followed by other tests, but she could not recall specifics. She described that the pilot had regular follow-up screenings from his primary physician.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The helicopter was equipped with a Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 engine. According to inspection and maintenance records, the most recent engine log entry, dated March 14, 2014, documented a 50-hour inspection, oil and filter change, oil screen check, and Hobbs meter replacement; the engine time since overhaul was recorded as 120.2 hours. The most recent airframe log entry, dated May 12, 2014, documented the installation of new position lights and the adjustment of the left helipod brackets; the airframe total time was documented as 2,339.4 hours. 

The records indicated that the engine was overhauled to factory new limits on April 26, 2013, at an engine total time of 2,200 hours. A maintenance record dated June 18, 2013, recorded that the overhauled engine was installed at an airframe total time of 2166.8 hours; other maintenance recorded on that date included the overhaul of the Onboard Systems International cargo hook, model 528-023-01.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The closest official weather observation station was located at BCV. At 1416, BCV reported, in part, that the wind was from 300° at 3 knots, visibility was 10 miles, the sky condition was clear, the temperature was 57° F, and the dew point was 43° F.

A review of FAA weather camera images for BCV revealed that, for all camera views (northeast, northwest, south, and southeast), images taken about the time of accident (from about 7 minutes before to about 1 minute after) showed that clouds were present at the airport with no visibility restrictions below them. Rising terrain 11 miles south and 6 miles northeast, as well as a 4,400-ft mean sea level peak 7.5 miles southeast of the airport, were identifiable in the images. (Note: None of the cameras captured any detailed image of the accident helicopter.)

AIRPORT INFORMATION

BCV, elevation 83 ft msl, was located 2 miles northwest of Chugiak, Alaska. BCV was a nontowered airport with a 4,010 ft x 100 ft asphalt runway (2L/20R) and an 1,800 ft x 50 ft runway (2R/20L). The CTAF was 123.0 MHz.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

Initial examination of the helicopter at the accident site revealed that the fuselage came to rest on its left side on a gravel area south of the paved airport ramp, and most of the cockpit and cabin structures were consumed by fire. The engine and skids were on the ground near the fuselage and showed thermal damage. The tailcone and tail rotor were primarily intact and on the ground aft of the burned fuselage, which was generally oriented facing northwest. A linear scar was adjacent to the burned fuselage; the length of the scar was consistent with the length of a main rotor blade. The main rotor gearbox and mast assembly with the main rotor hub attached was found separated on the ground an estimated 100 ft north of fuselage and engine, at the edge of the paved ramp and adjacent to a separated taxiway light. One main rotor blade was separated outboard of the hub near the blade root, and the other main rotor blade was attached in its entirety and damaged. All separated pieces of main rotor blade were located at the accident site. 

The barrel with which the pilot had been practicing was found on its side in the grass adjacent to the airport ramp. (A witness reported that the pilot typically lowered the barrel such that it remained upright.) The barrel, a 55-gallon steel drum, was about three-quarters filled (estimated) with water. The long-line was attached to the barrel, and the other end was not attached to the helicopter's cargo hook. The line extended on the ground from the barrel generally southwest toward the main wreckage and was looped on the ground adjacent to the main wreckage; the end of the line was on the ground about 20 ft southwest of the main wreckage. Visual examination of the ramp area, barrel, and line revealed no scrape, drag, or contact marks that could be identified as uniquely associated with the accident. (The ramp area had multiple scrape marks, most of which were presumably from winter snow removal activity, and the barrel had multiple scrape marks in several areas.)

Examination of the long-line revealed it consisted of three 50-foot sections of 3/8-inch braided nylon rope, each of which included a 1/2-inch rope thimble spliced at each end. The ropes were connected together by aluminum carabiners with locking gates. The barrel end of the long-line was attached to a hook through two aluminum carabiners with locking gates and a swivel adapter between them. The hook was attached to a barrel harness, which was secured around the barrel. The helicopter end of the long-line terminated at the 1/2-inch rope thimble with no ring or other rigging structure attached.

Postaccident examination of the wreckage at a recovery facility revealed that the upper and left sides of the airframe sustained extensive impact damage. The main rotor drive shaft was crushed and bent about 15° at the teeter stop. The three D212-1 hydraulic servos (forward right, forward left, and aft servo) for the main rotor flight controls were removed from the wreckage and retained for further examination.

One main rotor blade was attached to the root and fractured in two places with its fractured segments attached by the trailing edge doublers. The separated surfaces were angular and jagged, and the blade was bowed upward about 6 ft outboard of the hub, and the outboard 6 ft were bent forward in the direction of rotation. The leading edge had many small dents with coarse scuff marks running chordwise along the entire blade. There was a large puncture in the blade afterbody from the upper skin into the lower skin. The other main rotor blade was separated near the root, and the separations were angular and jagged. Both the inboard side and the outboard side of the disconnect had corresponding coarse scuff marks running mostly chordwise on the upper skin. This blade was bent forward in the direction of rotation at mid-span, and the afterbody in the same area was fractured from the trailing edge toward the spar at a slight angle. The surfaces of the fractured skins were angular and jagged. The leading edge of the upper skin at the tip had coarse scuff marks running chordwise, and the trailing edge was deformed.

The tailcone sustained thermal damage at the forward end and was separated from the upper frame at the thermally damaged area. The intermediate flex coupling was mostly consumed by fire along with the forward end of the tail rotor driveshaft. The tail rotor driveshaft was bowed slightly. The tail rotor driveshaft damper bearing rotated smoothly, and the hanger bracket functioned freely. The aft flex coupling was undamaged. The tail rotor gearbox input gear and cartridge was separated from the tail rotor gearbox housing and remained attached to the bulkhead. The surface of the separation was angular and jagged. The input gear rotated smoothly and had no damage to the teeth. The output gear was undamaged. The output shaft was bent. Oil, blue in color, was present around the gearbox. The tail rotor hub and both blades had coarse scuff marks on their outboard surfaces. One tail rotor blade was slightly deformed along the trailing edge, and the other had a dent in the leading edge.

The landing gear sustained only thermal damage. The rear cross tube, both rear elbows, and most of the forward cross tube were consumed by fire. The bottom surface of the tail skid had a fresh scrape mark.

The clutch strut was found attached at one end to the frame assembly and was retained for further examination. 

Examination of the engine revealed extensive thermal damage. All of the accessories were partially or fully consumed by fire, and both oil coolers and the oil sump were consumed by fire. The crankshaft could be rotated, and valve continuity was established. Compression (thumb check) was observed on the Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 cylinders. During the check, debris blew out the intake for the No. 3 cylinder, and examination revealed the No. 3 intake tube had been displaced. The oil pump turned freely. The spark plugs showed normal wear. The oil filter element and oil strainer showed no metallic debris.

The operating components of the cargo hook were found separated from each other with some pieces fragmented and encased in molten metal. Damage precluded any functional testing. The pilot's cyclic grip with the cargo hook release button mount was thermally damaged.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The State of Alaska Medical Examiner's Office, Anchorage, Alaska, performed an autopsy on the pilot. The report listed the pilot's cause of death as "multiple blunt force injuries" and noted that the thermal injuries were sustained postmortem. 

The autopsy report also noted focal areas of greater than 75% atherosclerotic stenosis in both the mid left anterior descending coronary artery and the distal right coronary artery; the other coronary arteries showed scattered calcific atherosclerosis without significant stenosis. Focal white scarring was identified in the posterior left ventricle consistent with a remote myocardial infarct (heart attack). Microscopic evaluation of the heart identified the area as "confluent fibrosis consistent with remote infarct."

The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot. The report stated that no carbon monoxide was detected in the blood, no ethanol was detected in the vitreous, and 33.4 (ug/ml, ug/g) salicylate was detected in the urine. (Salicylate is a metabolite of aspirin.)

Medical History

Review of the medical records from the pilot's primary care physician found that, in March 2011, a coronary calcium score test was ordered to evaluate the pilot's risk of coronary artery disease. The result was a total coronary artery calcium score of 919, which included 361 in the right coronary and 335 in the left anterior descending. (According to the record, a total score over 400 indicates a very high likelihood of significant atherosclerosis in at least one main coronary artery.) The pilot subsequently underwent a stress test on March 25, 2011, and exercised to 14.9 metabolic equivalents of task without symptoms. The electrocardiogram (ECG) portion of the test demonstrated some non-diagnostic ST segment depression inferiorly at peak heart rate and during the post-exercise recovery period. (The ST segment is the section of an ECG between the end of the S wave and the beginning of the T wave.) A note from the physician in the record suggested that this was a thallium stress test, but the record contained no radiology report. 

According to the records, on March 6, 2012, the pilot's blood pressure was 142/80. On April 30, 2013, the pilot underwent a physical examination that was unremarkable. A letter from the physician to the pilot described an elevated glucose level, but the record contained no laboratory results that specified the glucose level.

A research study published in 2012 found that the sensitivity for stress testing for significant stenosis is 77%, even when the person reaches maximal exertion and with the addition of nuclear imaging (a thallium stress test). (Source: Al Aloul et al. 2012. "Utility of nuclear stress imaging for detecting coronary artery bypass graft disease." BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 12:62.) 

TESTS AND RESEARCH

Hydraulic Servos for Main Rotor Flight Controls

Visual examination of the three D212-1 hydraulic servos (forward right, forward left, and aft servo) at the Robinson Helicopter factory revealed nominal impact-related damage. The fluid inlet screen for each servo was clear, and the hardware torque stripe on each was unbroken. All three servos were fitted with factory fluid fittings and supply and discharge hoses and were connected to a factory hydraulic test bench for functional testing. The testing revealed that all three servos functioned within limits with no anomalies noted. 

Clutch Strut


Examination of the clutch strut under magnification in the NTSB Materials Laboratory showed linear scrape damage across one side of the strut fittings at one end. 
NTSB Identification: ANC14FA030
14 CFR Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
Accident occurred Wednesday, May 28, 2014 in Chugiak, AK
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II, registration: N392GP
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On May 28, 2014, at 1433 Alaska daylight time, N392GP, a Robinson R44 II helicopter, collided with the ground and caught fire while maneuvering for landing during an external-load flight at Birchwood Airport, Chugiak, Alaska. The commercial pilot was fatally injured, and the helicopter was destroyed by the ground impact and post-impact fire. The flight was operated by Global Positioning Services, Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local flight departed Birchwood Airport about 1315.

According to an operator's representative, the pilot had been conducting practice flights with a 150-foot long-line attached to a fluid-filled, 55-gallon barrel in preparation for an upcoming project. Several witnesses at the airport said that they saw the helicopter flying on the day of the accident with the barrel suspended beneath it by the long-line. One witness who was flying his airplane on short final for runway 20 when the accident occurred had heard the helicopter pilot communicating on the airport common traffic advisory frequency, providing regular position reports as he maneuvered the helicopter. That witness saw the helicopter maneuver from a hover over the end of runway 20 with the barrel suspended on the long-line to the area east of the runway on the ramp near where the accident occurred. Other witnesses reported that the ramp location is where the pilot typically sets down the barrel and lands the helicopter. The airplane pilot reported that he saw the nose of the helicopter pitch up before it rolled to the left, descended, and impacted the ground. Other witnesses on the ground reported hearing two loud "bang" sounds a few seconds apart and said that, when they looked to see what made the sound, they saw the helicopter on the ground in flames.

Initial examination of the helicopter at the accident site revealed that the fuselage came to rest on its left side on a gravel road adjacent to the paved airport ramp, and much of the cockpit and cabin structures were consumed by fire. The tail boom and tail rotor were on the ground aft of the burned fuselage. The main rotor mast assembly with the main rotor hub attached was found separated on the ground several feet away from the fuselage and engine. One main rotor blade was separated outboard of the hub near the blade root, and the other main rotor blade was attached in its entirety and damaged. All separated pieces of main rotor blade were located at the accident site. The length of a linear ground scar near the fuselage was consistent with the length of a main rotor blade. The barrel with which the pilot had been practicing was found on its side in the grass adjacent to the airport ramp. The long-line was attached to the barrel and was not attached to the helicopter's pilot-controlled, belly-mounted cargo hook.

The closest official weather observation station is located at the Birchwood Airport. At 1416, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) was reporting, in part: Wind, 300 degrees (true) at 3 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, clear; temperature, 57 degrees F; dew point, 43 degrees F; altimeter, 30.10 inHg



NTSB investigator Clint Johnson photographs the scene of a Robinson R44 helicopter crash at Birchwood Airport on Wednesday, May 28, 2014.

 





ANCHORAGE - 
 
One of the first two men to reach the site of Wednesday afternoon’s fiery helicopter crash at the Birchwood Airport says the other was badly burned in a desperate attempt to save its pilot from the flames.

Anchorage police say Thomas Moore, 62, was killed in the crash at the Birchwood Airport at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. According to National Transportation Safety Board investigators, witnesses say Moore was apparently practicing hauling a sling load with the four-seat Robinson R44 helicopter, owned by Anchorage-based Global Positioning Services, at the time of the crash.

Lowell Knipp says he was near the helicopter’s crash site Wednesday afternoon. Knipp was inside a hangar when he says he heard a loud boom outside.

“We're next to the shooting range so you'll hear booms, but it wasn't like that -- it shook the whole building,” Knipp said. “I turned and looked out the windows and saw a little puff of black smoke just above the buildings there, and I knew something was bad.”

Knipp immediately ran for the helicopter, which was already on fire.


 “The heat was pretty intense and I could get within about 3 feet now, and it’s just -- flames were coming out from underneath and everywhere,” Knipp said.

A mechanic, Paul Mallory, reached the cockpit first and tried to pull Moore from the flames.

“Paul arrived about 10 or 15 feet ahead of me and (Moore’s) feet were hanging out the front,” Knipp said. “Paul grabbed his foot to drag him out and then Paul’s hands were then on fire.”

Molten, burning rubber from the soles of Moore’s shoes had flowed onto Mallory’s hands, inflicting agonizing pain.

“Everything was so soaked with gas that when he grabbed his foot to pull him out, his shoe, sock all slipped right off,” Knipp said. “But now Paul's got a hold of this sopping-wet gas-burning piece, and it just stuck to his hands so he tried to rake it off in the dirt.”

Knipp turned to help Mallory, but the opportunity to save Moore was lost a moment later.

“I stopped and checked on him real quick, and then I turned to try and see what I could do -- and then something popped and (the helicopter) blew up again,” Knipp said.

Knipp says he wouldn’t call himself a hero, since “I think that everyone here would do that.” He reserves that term for the man who first reached Moore.

“Paul Mallory is really, he's, in my mind he's like a hero,” Knipp said. “He was -- he didn't think twice, he reached in and tried to grab him, fire or no fire, so he's got burns now -- they gotta take care of him.”

Mallory, a man who works with his hands, suffered severe burns to both of them -- including third-degree burns on his left hand -- during the attempt to rescue Moore. He was flown to Seattle for treatment Wednesday evening.

“He called me this morning and he's more worried about -- folks not worrying about him,” Knipp said, pausing in a moment of silence.

======
A pilot was killed and a man on the ground suffered burn injuries when a Robinson R44 crashed at the Birchwood Airport 24 miles north of Anchorage on Wednesday.

The pilot of the helicopter was identified as 62-year-old Thomas Moore.

According to witnesses at the scene, the helicopter was practicing sling load maneuvers at the airport when it crashed at about 2:30 pm.

Emergency crews from Chugiak and Anchorage, as well as State Troopers responded to the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board also responded to the scene.

Clint Johnson of the National Transportation Safety Board said that the pilot had been practicing for the last couple of days at the airport lifting a 100-foot with a full barrel of water attached to the bottom end.

It is unknown at this time if the helicopter was taking off or landing.

The injured man on the ground was taken to Providence Hospital for treatment of his burn injuries.

The wreckage of the helicopter was transported to a hangar for further investigation and the investigating team is looking at surveillance video in an attempt to determine the exact events that preceded the crash.



A helicopter pilot died in a crash at Birchwood Airport on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

The crash was first reported at 2:30 p.m., according to Clifton Dalton, assistant chief at Chugiak Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company. He said crews responded in minutes to find the helicopter engulfed in flames.

Rescuers said the pilot, who had not been identified, was killed. Dalton did not know who the helicopter belonged to nor whether it had been landing or taking off.

According to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer, the helicopter was a Robinson R-44. He said the cause of the crash remained unknown.

Anchorage police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro said police were still working to notify next of kin Wednesday.

Dalton said a bystander who saw the crash suffered serious burns while attempting to rescue the pilot and was transported to Providence Alaska Medical Center for treatment.

The wreckage of the helicopter sat charred at the south end of the runway Wednesday evening. Only its yellow tail remained intact.

Witnesses said they saw the helicopter carrying a load that appeared to be a 55-gallon drum. John Markis, who had been leaving Birchwood Airport, saw the helicopter just before the crash. He said it had dropped its load, but it was unclear if that had been planned.

Israel Payton said he was working at nearby Airframes Alaska when he heard a loud bang. He said noise at the airport isn't unusual. There's a shooting range nearby, and helicopter pilots often practice there. But this bang was unusually loud.

When he looked out, he saw the helicopter on the ground in flames. Payton said he recognized the helicopter as one that usually stays parked at the airport, but he did not know who owned it. He told his colleagues to call 911 and ran outside with a fire extinguisher.

Payton said other people quickly rushed to help put out the fire, though small fire extinguishers did nothing to stop the flames, which quickly engulfed the helicopter.

Payton said one bystander suffered badly burned hands while trying to pull the pilot out of the helicopter, but an explosion pushed the would-be rescuer back.

After the crash, several police vehicles and two fire trucks were on scene as police interviewed witnesses. The National Transportation Safety Board had investigators on scene, collecting and sorting evidence.

Catherine Gagne, air safety investigator with the NTSB, said the investigation was still in its preliminary stages and it was too early to determine the cause of the crash.

Gagne is based out of Atlanta but was assigned to work in Alaska because of the state's high number of air crashes in summer.


March 14, 2013:



Robinson R-44, N392GP: Accident occurred March 14, 2013 in Eagle Nest, New Mexico
  
NTSB Identification: CEN13LA194
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, March 14, 2013 in Eagle Nest, NM
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/24/2013
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II, registration: N392GP
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The flight instructor and student pilot were cruising about 800 feet above ground level when they heard a loud “bang,” followed immediately by the low rotor rpm horn, a warning light illumination, and a rapid decrease in rotor rpm indication. In response, the instructor initiated an autorotation by lowering the collective, and the engine immediately lost power. The helicopter touched down and then rocked forward due to soft and downward-sloping terrain. The instructor applied slight aft cyclic to prevent the main rotor blades from contacting the ground; however, the main rotor blades struck and severed the tail boom.


The engine was functionally tested, and it operated normally. However, one of the magnets used to provide rotor rpm indications was missing from the rotating transmission yoke and was found affixed to a bolt just aft of the yoke. It likely had become loose in flight, and its movement was the bang heard by the pilots. Scarring was found on one of the sensors opposite the magnet, indicating that the magnet had contacted the sensor. The separation of the magnet caused the rotor rpm indication to drop and the low rotor rpm warning horn and light to activate. Due to the control linkage between the collective and the throttle, when the instructor lowered the collective, the throttle closed rapidly. According to Robinson Helicopters, rapid throttle changes can result in a fuel-air ratio becoming too rich or too lean to sustain engine operation and result in an engine failure.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
A total loss of engine power due to a rapid throttle change during autorotation, which the flight instructor initiated in response to a low rotor rpm warning, which resulted from the separation of one of the magnets used to provide rotor rpm indications from the rotating transmission yoke. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's aft cyclic input upon landing.

On March 14, 2013, about 1445 mountain daylight time, the flight instructor of a Robinson R-44, N392GP, was forced to make an autorotation to an open field after the engine lost power near Eagle Nest, New Mexico. The flight instructor and second pilot were not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to Global Positioning Services, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, and operated by Leading Edge Aviation, Inc., Bend, Oregon, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed but not activated. The flight originated from Dalhart, Texas, and was en route to Monte Vista, Colorado.

According to the instructor’s accident report, he and his student were cruising at 800 feet above the ground when they heard a loud “bang,” followed immediately by the low rotor RPM horn, warning light illumination, and a rapid decrease in rotor RPM. The instructor initiated an autorotation to an open field. The helicopter touched down and rocked forward due to the soft and downward sloping terrain. The pilot applied slight aft cyclic to prevent the main rotor blades from contacting the ground. The main rotor blades struck and severed the tail boom.

The helicopter was later transported to the operator’s facility in Bend, Oregon, where the engine was functionally tested. The engine was started and ran normally, and all parameters where within normal limits.

During the examination, it was discovered that one of the magnets used to provide rotor RPM indications was missing from the transmission yoke. There was scaring on one of the sensors opposite this magnet, indicating it had made contact with the magnet while the yoke was rotating. According to Robinson Helicopters, if one of the magnets or sensors opens, rotor RPM will drop and the low rotor RPM warning horn will activate. The magnet was later found affixed to a bolt just aft of the yoke, and a small dent was found on the horizontal firewall.

According to Robinson Helicopter, rapid throttle changes in the R44 can result in the fuel-air ratio becoming too rich or too lean to sustain engine operation and result in an engine failure, particularly at higher density altitudes.


NTSB Identification: CEN13LA194 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, March 14, 2013 in Eagle Nest, NM
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II, registration: N392GP
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On March 14, 2013, about 1430 mountain daylight time, the pilot of a Robinson R-44, N392GP, was forced to autorotate to an open field after the engine lost power near Eagle Nest, New Mexico. The certificated flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to Global Positioning Services, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, and was operated by Leading Edge Aviation, Inc., Bend, Oregon, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at Fort Smith, Arkansas, with an en route stop at Dalhart, Texas, and was en route to Moab, Utah, and Bend, Oregon.

Preliminary information indicates the engine lost power while the helicopter was in cruise flight. The flight instructor autorotated the helicopter to an open field. The tail boom was severed by the main rotor blades when the helicopter struck the ground.
===

The tail of a helicopter broke off during a hard landing at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday (March 14) in a field near Eagle Nest.

Assistant Moreno Valley Fire Department Chief Craig Sime said that neither one of the two people onboard the aircraft were injured in the accident, which occurred near the village boundary northeast of Therma Way and Iron Queen Drive.

Village of Eagle Nest employee Amarante Tafoya said he was checking a road in the area when the helicopter came down.

“It just sounded like an engine cut out, and it just smoothly came down and hit the ground,” he said.

Tafoya estimated that the helicopter fell about 10 feet, and he said the tail broke off while it was still in the air.

“They were kind of sputtering, and then they got to their lowest point and they just cut out and landed right there,” he said.

The New Mexico State Police took control of the scene at about 4 p.m. Thursday.

The helicopter is registered to Global Positioning Services, Inc. of Anchorage, Alaska, according to a search of the aircraft’s N number on the Federal Aviation Administration website.

The helicopter accident came less than two weeks after four people died in a single-engine airplane crash March 3 in Angel Fire, which is about 10 miles south of Eagle Nest.