The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Cincinnati, Ohio
Lycoming; Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Enstrom; Menominee, Michigan
Location: Greenville, Ohio
Accident Number: ERA22FA262
Date and Time: June 7, 2022, 09:40 Local
Registration: N600TA
Aircraft: Enstrom F28
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal
On June 7, 2022, about 0940 eastern daylight time, an Enstrom F28F helicopter, N600TA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Greenville, Ohio. The private pilot and his wife (a student pilot) were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot owned the helicopter, which was also used for agricultural spraying on his family farm. The helicopter was based at a private hangar facility in Greenville. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who visited the facility after the accident, the pilot, and his wife, were observed on surveillance video departing the facility at 0925. The spray equipment had been removed from the helicopter. Several witnesses saw the helicopter flying in the local area at an altitude between 500 and 1,000 ft mean sea level (msl). About 0940, law enforcement received a 911 call that the helicopter had crashed in the driveway of the pilot’s residence, about 3 miles from the hangar facility.
The helicopter came to rest upright, with its skids fully spread and a postaccident fire consumed the aft cockpit area to the forward tail boom area. All three main rotor blades remained secured to the mast and were undamaged. The tail rotor gear box was intact, and one tail rotor blade was bent about 90°. The other blade sustained minor damage. The cockpit area was crushed, but the instrument panel was intact and undamaged. The windshield was shattered. There were no ground scars or impact marks observed around the main wreckage. A ½-inch coaxial cable that ran from a power-pole on the street directly to the home was severed and laying on the ground to the left and right of the main wreckage. The tail rotor guard was broken in two sections and found about 20-30 ft behind the main wreckage, along with a cargo door. Both sets of flight controls were installed in the helicopter. Though breaks in the flight control system were observed due to fire and impact damage, flight control continuity was established for all major flight controls.
There were no witnesses to the accident and the pilot was not in contact with air traffic control. A search for air traffic control radar data revealed no radar data was captured for the flight. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) flight tracking equipment was installed on the helicopter, but no tracking data was captured for the accident flight.
According to a pilot that flew spraying operations in the accident helicopter, he said the pilot had planned to fly to the Warren County Airport (I68), Lebanon, Ohio, that day to drop the helicopter off for scheduled maintenance.
The helicopter wreckage was retained for further examination.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Enstrom
Registration: N600TA
Model/Series: F28 F
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built:
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Agricultural aircraft (137)
Operator Designator Code:
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: VMC
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KVES,1008 ft msl
Observation Time: 09:50 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 10 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 20°C /19°C
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 10 knots / , 270°
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 1500 ft AGL
Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.83 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Greenville, OH (None)
Destination: Greenville, OH
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Fire: On-ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 40.048345,-84.614168
Rotorcraft crashed under unknown circumstances and caught on fire.
Date: 07-JUN-22
Time: 13:20:00Z
Regis#: N600TA
Aircraft Make: ENSTROM
Aircraft Model: F-28F
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: FATAL
Flight Crew: 1 fatal
Pax: 1 fatal
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: SUBSTANTIAL
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: EN ROUTE (ENR)
Operation: 91
City: GREENVILLE
State: OHIO
Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290.
Krista Zimmer
1987 - 2022
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GREENVILLE -- Krista A. Zimmer age 35 of Greenville, Ohio passed away Tuesday June 7, 2022. Krista was born April 2, 1987 in Greenville, Ohio. She is the daughter of Dale and Teri (Hollinger) Hartman of Greenville.
Krista was the co-owner of Agri Air LLC with her husband Charles. She also was a Crop Insurance Agent and a Precision Meter Master. She was previously employed with the Sears Company and Greenville National Bank. She was a Girl Scout Co-Leader and volunteered at St. Mary's School in the library. Krista loved spending time with her daughters playing games, reading books and doing craft projects.
Krista was preceded in death by maternal grandparents Paul and Phyllis Hollinger and paternal grandparents Evelyn Edwards and Deo Hartman.
She was married June 4, 2010 to Charles R. Zimmer who passed away on June 9, 2022.
Krista's survivors in addition to her parents are her daughters, Alexi and Cora Zimmer; sisters Heather (Micah) Ashworth and Nicole Potts; and nieces and nephews Theo and Sophie Ashworth, Adam, Eric, and Roxi Potts, DJ, Ashlyn, Ethan and Nadalyn Zimmer, Amelia and Henry Zimmer.
Private funeral services will be held at the convenience of the family at Zechar Bailey Funeral Home Greenville, Ohio with Pastor Josh Welker officiating. Burial will follow in the Greenmound Cemetery, New Madison, Ohio. The family will receive friends on Wednesday June 15, 2022 from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Zechar Bailey Funeral Home, Greenville, Ohio.
It is the wishes of the family that memorial contributions be given to St. Mary's School, 238 West Third Street, Greenville, Ohio, 45331. A future benefit account will be established for Alexi and Cora Zimmer at Greenville National Bank.
Fond memories and condolences for the family may be left at www.zecharbailey.com for the Zimmer Family.
Charles Ray Zimmer
DECEMBER 21, 1987 – JUNE 9, 2022
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Charles R. Zimmer, age 34 of Greenville, Ohio passed away Thursday, June 9, 2022. Charles was born December 21, 1987 in Greenville, Ohio. He is the son of Kirk and Diane (Hathaway) Zimmer of Arcanum, Ohio.
Charles was the co-owner of Agri Air LLC with his wife Krista. He also partnered with his brother to farm. He was previously employed with K-mart, F & P and Fastenal. Charles was an avid blood donor and enjoyed playing games with his family and friends. He loved teaching his daughters about farming.
Charles is preceded in death by his wife, Krista A. Zimmer, whom he married June 4, 2010. Krista passed away on June 7, 2022. He was also preceded by paternal grandparent Dale Zimmer; maternal grandparents John and Iris Hathaway.
Charles’s survivors in addition to his parents are his daughters Alexi and Cora Zimmer; brothers Doug (Karla) Zimmer, Philip (Haven) Zimmer and sister Erica Zimmer; paternal grandparent Beverly Zimmer; nieces and nephews DJ, Ashlyn, Ethan and Nadalyn Zimmer, Amelia and Henry Zimmer, Theo and Sophie Ashworth, Adam, Eric and Roxie Potts.
Private funeral services will be held at the convenience of the family at Zechar Bailey Funeral Home Greenville, Ohio with Pastor Josh Welker officiating. Burial will follow at Greenmound Cemetery New Madison, Ohio. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Zechar Bailey Funeral Home Greenville, Ohio.
It is the wishes of the family that memorial contributions be given to St. Mary’s School 238 W. Third St. Greenville, Ohio 45331. A future benefit account will be established for Alexi and Cora Zimmer at Greenville National Bank.
Fond memories and condolences may be left at www.zecharbailey.com for the Zimmer Family.
UPDATE: 34-year-old Charles Zimmer, who was brought via Careflight to Miami Valley Hospital in critical condition, later passed away in the hospital, according to the Montgomery County Coroner.
GREENVILLE, Ohio (WDTN) — The Darke County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victims of a fiery helicopter crash as a married couple from Darke County.
According to the Darke County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch, a helicopter crashed at the 5000 block of Hogpath road around 9:40 am. in Greenville.
Deputies from the Darke County Sheriff’s Office were first to arrive on the scene, where they found a two-seater helicopter on fire and producing heavy smoke. They were joined by fire and rescue teams from Greenville and Arcanum.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they found a couple had been trapped inside the helicopter. Bystanders were working with deputies in an attempt to free the two occupants and put out the flames.
According to Darke County Sheriff Mark Whittaker, people were bringing buckets of water and fire extinguishers from a nearby home in an attempt to quench the blaze.
“It was through heroic efforts of deputies who worked the scene as well some bystanders who were working hard,” said Whittaker. “I’m very proud of the deputies and citizens that helped out on this.”
Crews were able to free one of the occupants, 34-year-old Charles Zimmer, who was brought via Careflight to Miami Valley Hospital in critical condition. He later passed away in the hospital, according to the Montgomery County Coroner.
The other victim, 35-year-old Krista Zimmer, was declared dead on the scene.
According to a release by the Darke County Sheriff’s Office, the two victims are married and lived in the home near where the helicopter crashed. The couple has been known to take off and land from their home which is surrounded by farm ground in a rural area of Darke County.
Some deputies received minor injuries from the heat as well as lacerations while trying to free the occupants, Whittaker said. They were treated on the scene.
The Darke County Coroner was also on the scene and reconstruction crews will document the scene. The NTSB and FAA will continue the investigation from there. As of Tuesday afternoon, the FAA had arrived on the scene. The NTSB is expected to arrive Wednesday morning.
It is unknown what may have caused the crash or if the couple was attempting a landing or taking off at the time of the crash.
The road has been closed between Jaysville-St. Johns Road and S.R. 127. Whittaker said it will remain closed for the day and possibly into the evening as crews investigate the crash.
Not mentioned in the story, but the couple ran an agricultural spraying business that the helicopter was used for. Not clear if it was spraying when this happened.
ReplyDeleteThe husband/pilot has passed away as of this morning.
ReplyDeleteOh how awful and tragic. Hope the NTSB find out the cause. RIP.
DeleteI was the proud owner of this helicopter and after an extensive rebuild, had the N number changed to N600TA. I am heartbroken over this accident and the loss of these two fine people.
ReplyDelete