20030121003379A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206L1 · Oak Grove, LA · January 21, 2003

Date: January 21, 2003 · 16:50 local
Place: Oak Grove, LA
Airport: Creole Heliport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: ALGA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5740L
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW03LA088
Reported as: Bell 206L1
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,580 total2,307 in this make and model228 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On this afternoon at approximately 1630 to 1700 hours uct, there was a rapid development of advection fog. While approaching to land, the pilot heard several aircraft making precautionary landings short of their destination 15LA due to fog, as he, too, encountered the fog bank. Seeing a landing area, he made a right descending turn, whereupon he entered the fog at approximately 250 feet and put the aircraft in a wings level 100 to 200 feet per minute rate of descent. Upon seeing the ground at about 50 feet of altitude, he subsequently lost visual cues for directional stabilized hover and when landing, made a hard landing, damaging the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON THIS AFTERNOON AT APPROXIMATELY 1630 TO 1700 HOURS UCT, THERE WAS A RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF ADVECTION FOG. WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND, THE PILOT HEARD SEVERAL AIRCRAFT MAKING PRECAUTIONARY LANDINGS SHORT OF THEIR DESTINATION 15LA DUE TO FOG, AS HE, TOO, ENCOUNTERED THE FOG BANK. SEEING A LANDING AREA, HE MADE A RIGHT DESCENDING TURN, WHEREUPON HE ENTERED THE FOG AT APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET AND PUT THE AIRCRAFT IN A WINGS LEVEL 100 TO 200 FEET PER MINUTE RATE OF DESCENT. UPON SEEING THE GROUND AT ABOUT 50 FEET OF ALTITUDE, HE SUBSEQUENTLY LOST VISUAL CUES FOR DIRECTIONAL STABILIZED HOVER AND WHEN LANDING, MADE A HARD LANDING, DAMAGING THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW03LA088Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportOak Grove, LAThe pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions, and his improper landing flare resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factors was the fog.Jan 21, 2003 · Substantial damage