Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Rapid City, South Dakota
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
http://registry.faa.gov/N442RP
Accident Number: CEN16LA006
Date & Time: 10/05/2015, 1010 CDT
Registration: N442RP
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Collision during takeoff/land
Injuries: 2 Serious, 2 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal
On October 5, 2015, about 0910 mountain daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, N442RP, impacted a building during takeoff from a private landing area near Parkston, South Dakota. The commercial-rated pilot and one passenger received serious injuries. The two additional passengers were not injured, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The helicopter was registered to Woodley Aerial Leasing LLC and operated by Woodley Aerial Spraying Inc., under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and an instrument flight plan was not filed.
The pilot stated that when he landed he left some distance between the helicopter and the adjacent building, with the tailboom pointed away from the building. The load truck with trailer was then parked between the helicopter and the building. He expected to "shut down the helicopter so the spray system could be installed." However, before he helicopter was shutdown, the owner asked the pilot to give 3 passengers a ride. The passengers boarded the helicopter and the pilot proceeded to depart. The pilot reported that as soon as the helicopter lifted, a tailwind gust pushed the helicopter forward. He added that it happened so fast, he did not have time to recover and the helicopter impacted the load trailer and side of the adjacent building.
The closest weather reporting station located at the Mitchell Municipal Airport, South Dakota, about 24 miles north of the accident site, recorded wind from 170 degrees at 7 kts.
The pilot reported there were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.
Pilot Information
Certificate: Flight Instructor; Commercial
Age: 42, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Helicopter
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Helicopter
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): Helicopter
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 01/06/2015
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 01/19/2015
Flight Time: 1350 hours (Total, all aircraft), 115 hours (Total, this make and model)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: ROBINSON HELICOPTER
Registration: N442RP
Model/Series: R44 UNDESIGNATED
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Year of Manufacture: 2002
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 1277
Landing Gear Type: Skid;
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 03/06/2015, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 2078.3 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: C91 installed, activated, did not aid in locating accident
Engine Model/Series: O-540F1 SERIE
Registered Owner: Woodley Aerial Leasing
Rated Power: 260 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Agricultural Aircraft (137)
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KMHE, 1299 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 24 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 0953 CDT
Direction from Accident Site: 354°
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 7000 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 7 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /
Wind Direction: 170°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30.17 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 14°C / 8°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Parkston, SD
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Parkston, SD
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1000 MDT
Type of Airspace: Class G
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 2 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 2 Minor
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Serious, 2 Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 43.383333, -97.981667 (est)
In rural South Dakota and all over our region, telemedicine is making it possible for emergency department physicians to be virtually bedside from hundreds, or even thousands, of miles away to help rural providers with anything from small lacerations to full-on trauma.
“I don’t remember anything, getting thrown out of the helicopter, coming to the hospital or anything,” said Steve Walz of Parkston.
A helicopter crash in October of 2015 changed Steve’s life forever.
“I broke both knees, both hips, couple bones in my left foot, broke my nose, broke my eye socket, got a plate of steel above my eye,” said Steve.
“I remember that day real well,” said Dr. Richard Honke, emergency department physician at Avera St. Benedict in Parkston.
“The more minds and the more help you can get with these kind of things, the better off you are, better off patients are,” said Dr. Honke.
While the trauma team in Parkston was physically helping Steve, another team in Sioux Falls was assisting via Avera eCARE Emergency. Dr. Honke says this collaboration helped save Steve’s life.
“We all train in trauma and cardiac life support but in the middle of an emergency like that, sometimes thinking of everything you need to think of is not that easy to do. And when you got these guys that are sitting there watching you and they’re doing this every day – it just helps to have their opinion,” said Dr. Honke.
Pertinent patient information and vital signs are seen in real time via E-Emergency.
“The other thing they do for us is they make all the transport arrangements and we don’t have to mess with that. We can just deal with the patients,” said Dr. Honke.
“Seconds do matter in those situations. The ‘E’ had notified the nursing staff who was flying at the time and had updated them on all the information so when they arrived at our facility, we weren’t wasting time repeating things, giving vital signs. They already had the information at hand,” said Lindsay Weber, certified nurse practitioner.
“Being able to have the camera on me the whole time where they can actually see how I’m doing, just like if they were standing next to me, that’s a huge benefit to me as a patient,” said Steve.
Steve has come a long way since the accident.
“I remember the first steps that I took after being in a wheelchair for months, not being able to move my legs for two months – I lost all the strength in my legs so the first couple of steps that I took in therapy basically wore me out and that’s as far as I could go,” said Steve.
“I’m always amazed at how well he’s doing and how far he’s come, but he had severe injuries and not everybody would have survived that,” said Dr. Honke.
Although Steve’s recovery hasn’t been easy, he’s had a positive attitude from day one. Support from his family and friends motivates him to keep pushing harder.
“I think people, a lot of people take life for granted and when you get close as what I did to losing that life, it makes you appreciate life so much more than what you did before,” said Steve.
Avera eCARE Emergency is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.ksfy.com
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