20050630012169A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Agusta A119 · Mancos, CO · June 30, 2005

Date: June 30, 2005 · 12:57 local
Place: Mancos, CO
Phase of flight: Approach
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: IFJA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N403CF
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN05FA103
Reported as: Agusta A119
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6*
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 3
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,200 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N403CFRegistration cancelled Jun 19, 2017 · Agusta A119S/N 14009 · Built 2000 Airframe modelAgusta A119 Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6 seriesTurbo-prop

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) Aircraft was observed on approach to landing zone at approximately 200 feet AGL, 9730 feet MSL, temp 20 degrees c, with suspected tail wind of approximately five to ten knots. Aircraft was observed to suddenly descend rapidly and bank to its left. Witness states that when the aircraft rapidly descended the sound of the aircraft went quiet. Aircraft did descend below 75 foot trees and out of the witnesses view. Aircraft landed in an open meadow striking tail stinger and tail rotor first then impacted hard on landing gear. Tail rotor blades were severely deformed, aircraft rotated 270 degrees to the right and came to rest destroying aircraft. Tail boom separating from fuselage, tail rotor gear box separating from tail boom, severe impact damage to fuselage resulting in death to all three occupants attributed to multiple fracture and multiple internal injuries due to blunt trauma.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED ON APPROACH TO LANDING ZONE AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL, 9730 FEET MSL, TEMP 20 DEGREES C, WITH SUSPECTED TAIL WIND OF APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO TEN KNOTS. AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO SUDDENLY DESCEND RAPIDLY AND BANK TO ITS LEFT. WITNESS STATES THAT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RAPIDLY DESCENDED THE SOUND OF THE AIRCRAFT WENT QUIET. AIRCRAFT DID DESCEND BELOW 75 FOOT TREES AND OUT OF THE WITNESSES VIEW. AIRCRAFT LANDED IN AN OPEN MEADOW STRIKING TAIL STINGER AND TAIL ROTOR FIRST THEN IMPACTED HARD ON LANDING GEAR. TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE SEVERELY DEFORMED, AIRCRAFT ROTATED 270 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND CAME TO REST DESTROYING AIRCRAFT. TAIL BOOM SEPARATING FROM FUSELAGE, TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX SEPARATING FROM TAIL BOOM, SEVERE IMPACT DAMAGE TO FUSELAGE RESULTING IN DEATH TO ALL THREE OCCUPANTS ATTRIBUTED TO MULTIPLE FRACTURE AND MULTIPLE INTERNAL INJURIES DUE TO BLUNT TRAUMA.

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 DEN05FA103Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportMancos, COa loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot's inability to get into autorotation prior to impacting the ground. A factor contributing to the accident was the helicopter's low altitude when power was lost.Jun 30, 2005 · Substantial damage