Aircraft Registration Number: NJA Occurrence Date: Occurrence Type: //2 Accident Most Critical Injury: Serious Investigated By: NTSB Location/Time Nearest /Place LINDRITH Zip Code Local Time Time Zone NM 729 25 MST Airport Proximity: Off Airport/Airstrip Aircraft Information Summary Aircraft Manufacturer Bell Distance From Landing Facility: Model/Series OH-5C Direction From Airport: Type of Aircraft Helicopter Sightseeing Flight: No Narrative Brief narrative statement of facts, conditions and circumstances pertinent to the accident/incident: Air Medical Transport Flight: On January, 2, at 25 mountain standard time, a Bell OH-5C, NJA, registered to and operated by the Jicarilla Apache Police Department, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain during an autorotation to landing near Lindrith, New Mexico. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured, and one passenger was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the public use flight being conducted under Title 4 CFR Part 9. The flight originated from a remote fueling site near Dulce, New Mexico, at. According to the pilot, he was conducting an annual game survey with three employees of the Jicarilla Game and Fish Department. He had been airborne for approximately 2 hours, and was planning to return for fuel. He was flying on an easterly heading at 5 knots and about feet above ground level (agl), and the wind was calm. The pilot stated that he initiated a shallow right hand turn and the aircraft started an unanticipated right yaw. He applied left pedal to counteract the movement, but the right yaw continued and accelerated. Left pedal was applied to the stop "with no effect." He lowered collective to reduce the torque and the aircraft began to spin to the right. He closed the throttle to the flight idle position to reduce torque on the airframe. The aircraft continued to spin and as it was approaching the ground, he pulled the collective control back to cushion the landing. The helicopter impacted the top of a pinion tree and came to rest on its right side. After impact with the ground, the engine continued to run. The day following the accident, an FAA maintenance inspector performed an inspection of the tail rotor system. According to him, he examined the integrity of the tail rotor system up to the point of where it was sheared from the transmission, and no discrepancies were found. According to the pilot, the elevation at the accident site was 7, feet above mean sea level (msl). Using the temperature the pilot reported to be 4 degrees C. (4 degrees F.) and the reported altimeter setting of. inches of mercury at Farmington, located 7 nautical miles to the northwest, the density altitude was calculated to be 7,24 feet above msl. No - Page
Landing Facility/Approach Information Airport Name Airport ID: Airport Elevation Runway Used Runway Length Runway Width Ft. MSL Runway Surface Type: Runway Surface Condition: Type Instrument Approach: NONE VFR Approach/Landing: Forced Landing Aircraft Information Aircraft Manufacturer Bell Model/Series OH-5C Serial Number 7277 Airworthiness Certificate(s): Special Flight (Special) Landing Gear Type: Skid Homebuilt Aircraft? No Number of Seats: 4 Certified Max Gross Wt. 2 LBS Number of Engines: Engine Type: Turbo Shaft Engine Manufacturer: Allison Model/Series: T6-A-72 Rated Power: 42 HP - Aircraft Inspection Information Type of Last Inspection Date of Last Inspection Time Since Last Inspection Airframe Total Time AAIP /2 5 Hours 42 Hours - Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) Information ELT Installed? Yes ELT Operated? Yes ELT Aided in Locating Accident Site? No Owner/Operator Information Registered Aircraft Owner JICARILLA APACHE POLICE DEPT. Operator of Aircraft Same as Reg'd Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX DULCE Street Address Same as Reg'd Aircraft Owner NM Zip Code 752 Zip Code Operator Does Business As: Operator Designator Code: - Type of U.S. Certificate(s) Held: Air Carrier Operating Certificate(s): Operating Certificate: Operator Certificate: Regulation Flight Conducted Under: Part 9: General Aviation Type of Flight Operation Conducted: Public Use - Page 2
First Pilot Information Name Date of Birth Age 45 Sex: M Seat Occupied: Right Principal Profession: Civilian Pilot Certificate Number: Certificate(s): Commercial Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land Rotorcraft/Glider/LTA: Helicopter Instrument Rating(s): Instructor Rating(s): Airplane; Helicopter Type Rating/Endorsement for Accident/Incident Aircraft? Current Biennial Flight Review? Medical Cert.: Class 2 Medical Cert. Status: Valid Medical--no waivers/lim. Date of Last Medical Exam: 2/999 - Flight Time Matrix All A/C This Make and Model Airplane Single Engine Airplane Mult-Engine Night Actual Instrument Simulated Rotorcraft Glider Lighter Than Air Total Time 2 225 795 429 2 25 5 Pilot In Command(PIC) Instructor Last 9 Days Last Days 4 4 4 Last 24 Hours Seatbelt Used? Yes Shoulder Harness Used? Yes Toxicology Performed? No Second Pilot? No Flight Plan/Itinerary Type of Flight Plan Filed: Departure Point Airport Identifier Departure Time Time Zone REMOTE SITE NM NONE MST Destination Airport Identifier Local Flight Type of Clearance: Type of Airspace: Class G Weather Information Source of Briefing: Method of Briefing: - Page
Weather Information WOF ID Observation Time Time Zone WOF Elevation WOF Distance From Accident Site Direction From Accident Site Ft. MSL NM Deg. Mag. Sky/Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear Ft. AGL Condition of Light: Day Lowest Ceiling: Ft. AGL Visibility: 2 SM Altimeter:. "Hg Temperature: 4 C Dew Point: C Wind Direction: Density Altitude: 724 Ft. Wind Speed: Calm Gusts: Weather Condtions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions Visibility (RVR): Ft. Visibility (RVV) SM Intensity of Precipitation: Unknown Restrictions to Visibility: Type of Precipitation: Accident Information Aircraft Damage: Substantial Aircraft Fire: Aircraft Explosion Classification: U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil - Injury Summary Matrix First Pilot Second Pilot Student Pilot Flight Instructor Check Pilot Flight Engineer Cabin Attendants Other Crew Fatal Serious Minor TOTAL Passengers 2 - TOTAL ABOARD - 4 Other Ground - GRAND TOTAL - 4 - Page 4
Administrative Information Investigator-In-Charge (IIC) B. BEACH SCOTT Additional Persons Participating in This Accident/Incident Investigation: WALTER TIDMORE FAA FSDO ALBUQUERQUE, NM 76 - Page 5