What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On September 25, 1999, about 0650 hours mountain time, a Kaman HH-43F helicopter, N100PL, was destroyed when it collided with terrain at Phoenix, Arizona. The airline transport pilot and crewman were both fatally injured. Moseley aviation, inc., litchfield, Arizona was operating the positioning flight under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed. The flight originated off-airport at the west end of Phoenix and was following the central Arizona project canal eastbound to perform an off-airport lift operation. En route the pilot contacted the Phoenix-deer valley municipal airport control tower for permission to transition through their airspace west to east on the north side. The request was approved. About 20 minutes later, the tower was advised of the accident approximately 5 miles northwest of the airport. According to witnesses in the accident area, the helicopter exploded or disintegrated in flight over the canal. Helicopter rotor blade parts were found on both sides and in the canal. The main wreckage was found about 200 feet southeast of the canal. The tail stabilizer group was found abo ut 200 feet southeast of the canal. The tail stabilizer group was found about west of the main wreckage. (.4)ground witnesses reported seeing the helicopter disintegrate in-flight, about 250 feet above ground level. The helicopter impacted the ground in a nearly inverted attitude, scattering rotor blade fragments on both sides of a canal. The ex-military, medium lift helicopter with twin intermeshing rotors was en route to perform an off-airport lift operation. It operated in the 'restricted' category and was required to fly over unpopulated areas. At the time of the accident, it was flying parallel with a canal. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fixed horizontal stabilizer left outboard leading edge attach fitting had fractured and exhibited evidence of a pre-existing crack. A second attach fitting aft of the leading edge attachment was also fractured. Additionally, the operator had installed automotive dampers in lead-lag positions on the rotor blades. (-23) pilot was enroute to conduct an external lift job (FAR - 133) in cruise flight @approx. 250 ft. (AGL) when the helicopter began an in-flight break-up scattering helicopter rotor blade pieces and other components along an approx. 300 yards debris trail. The main body of the wreckage came to rest upside down with the two (2) occupants underneath, fatally injured. A small fire was quickly extinguished by a nearby witness.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1999, ABOUT 0650 HOURS MOUNTAIN TIME, A KAMAN HH-43F HELICOPTER, N100PL, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AT PHOENIX, ARIZONA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND CREWMAN WERE BOTH FATALLY INJURED. MOSELEY AVIATION, INC., LITCHFIELD, ARIZONA WAS OPERATING THE POSITIONING FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED OFF-AIRPORT AT THE WEST END OF PHOENIX AND WAS FOLLOWING THE CENTRAL ARIZONA PROJECT CANAL EASTBOUND TO PERFORM AN OFF-AIRPORT LIFT OPERATION. EN ROUTE THE PILOT CONTACTED THE PHOENIX-DEER VALLEY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT CONTROL TOWER FOR PERMISSION TO TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE WEST TO EAST ON THE NORTH SIDE. THE REQUEST WAS APPROVED. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER, THE TOWER WAS ADVISED OF THE ACCIDENT APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES IN THE ACCIDENT AREA, THE HELICOPTER EXPLODED OR DISINTEGRATED IN FLIGHT OVER THE CANAL. HELICOPTER ROTOR BLADE PARTS WERE FOUND ON BOTH SIDES AND IN THE CANAL. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FOUND ABOUT 200 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE CANAL. THE TAIL STABILIZER GROUP WAS FOUND ABO UT 200 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE CANAL. THE TAIL STABILIZER GROUP WAS FOUND ABOUT WEST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. (.4)GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE HELICOPTER DISINTEGRATE IN-FLIGHT, ABOUT 250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEARLY INVERTED ATTITUDE, SCATTERING ROTOR BLADE FRAGMENTS ON BOTH SIDES OF A CANAL. THE EX-MILITARY, MEDIUM LIFT HELICOPTER WITH TWIN INTERMESHING ROTORS WAS EN ROUTE TO PERFORM AN OFF-AIRPORT LIFT OPERATION. IT OPERATED IN THE 'RESTRICTED' CATEGORY AND WAS REQUIRED TO FLY OVER UNPOPULATED AREAS. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, IT WAS FLYING PARALLEL WITH A CANAL. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE FIXED HORIZONTAL STABILIZER LEFT OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE ATTACH FITTING HAD FRACTURED AND EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF A PRE-EXISTING CRACK. A SECOND ATTACH FITTING AFT OF THE LEADING EDGE ATTACHMENT WAS ALSO FRACTURED. ADDITIONALLY, THE OPERATOR HAD INSTALLED AUTOMOTIVE DAMPERS IN LEAD-LAG POSITIONS ON THE ROTOR BLADES. (-23) PILOT WAS ENROUTE TO CONDUCT AN EXTERNAL LIFT JOB (FAR - 133) IN CRUISE FLIGHT @APPROX. 250 FT. (AGL) WHEN THE HELICOPTER BEGAN AN IN-FLIGHT BREAK-UP SCATTERING HELICOPTER ROTOR BLADE PIECES AND OTHER COMPONENTS ALONG AN APPROX. 300 YARDS DEBRIS TRAIL. THE MAIN BODY OF THE WRECKAGE CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN WITH THE TWO (2) OCCUPANTS UNDERNEATH, FATALLY INJURED. A SMALL FIRE WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED BY A NEARBY WITNESS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N100PL · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.