What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 6, 2013, at or about 1630 EST, jon edward whitaker, holder of commercial pilot certificate number 542861953, while acting as pilot in command of a Texas helicopter corporation, M74, helicopter, crashed while returning to the Sebring regional airport, Sebring, Florida, after completion of a 14 CFR 137 aerial application operation. The airman was killed and the helicopter was destroyed.
Witness marks on the ground and wreckage separation indicates the helicopter impacted the ground in a nose low left bank. A witness mark was identified where one of the main rotor blades hit the ground while rotating. Engine cooling fan blade damage indicates the engine was running at the time of impact. After the initial impact the helicopter appears to have bounced and rolled 270 degrees counter clockwise about the longitudinal axis coming to a rest on its right side.
The airman was current and qualified to operate the helicopter in 14 CFR 137 operations at the time of the accident. The airman?s pilot logbook indicated he logged approximately 10,000 hours of rotorcraft agricultural application experience. A review of the airman?s aeromedical records provided by cami revealed nothing which would have inhibited the airman?s ability to pilot the helicopter. An autopsy was performed and toxicology was sent to cami. Results have not been released to date. The airman was applying a pesticide, danitol 2.4 ec, which is a nervous system toxin, during the week of the accident. The danitol 2.4 ec was applied with one door of the helicopter removed and without the use of a respirator.
A determination of whether or not the helicopter experienced some sort of mechanical malfunction prior to the accident could not be made at the accident scene. The helicopter was inspected and found to be airworthy by llb of the st. louis FSDO on October 30, 2013. On scene inspection of the helicopter revealed no readily apparent malfunctions or failures. There appeared to be proper control continuity prior to impact. On scene inspection of the helicopter?s engine also revealed no apparent malfunctions or failures. Aircraft maintenance logbooks have been requested for review but have not been received to date. Inspection of the nurse truck, which was used to fuel the helicopter, revealed that fuel pumped from the fueling system was initially discolored but, turned clear and blue after one to two gallons were pumped. Analysis of the fuel filter and hose has yet to be completed.
Weather was good VFR and was not considered to be a factor.
To date, no FAA responsibilities have been identified in this accident investigation. Any additional findings resulting from the autopsy, toxicology, maintenance records review, engine run/teardown, or fuel analysis will be included in an amended report. It should be noted that this helicopter was certified as a restricted use aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 6, 2013, AT OR ABOUT 1630 EST, JON EDWARD WHITAKER, HOLDER OF COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 542861953, WHILE ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF A TEXAS HELICOPTER CORPORATION, M74, HELICOPTER, CRASHED WHILE RETURNING TO THE SEBRING REGIONAL AIRPORT, SEBRING, FLORIDA, AFTER COMPLETION OF A 14 CFR 137 AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATION. THE AIRMAN WAS KILLED AND THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED.
WITNESS MARKS ON THE GROUND AND WRECKAGE SEPARATION INDICATES THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW LEFT BANK. A WITNESS MARK WAS IDENTIFIED WHERE ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HIT THE GROUND WHILE ROTATING. ENGINE COOLING FAN BLADE DAMAGE INDICATES THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT THE HELICOPTER APPEARS TO HAVE BOUNCED AND ROLLED 270 DEGREES COUNTER CLOCKWISE ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS COMING TO A REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE.
THE AIRMAN WAS CURRENT AND QUALIFIED TO OPERATE THE HELICOPTER IN 14 CFR 137 OPERATIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRMAN?S PILOT LOGBOOK INDICATED HE LOGGED APPROXIMATELY 10,000 HOURS OF ROTORCRAFT AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION EXPERIENCE. A REVIEW OF THE AIRMAN?S AEROMEDICAL RECORDS PROVIDED BY CAMI REVEALED NOTHING WHICH WOULD HAVE INHIBITED THE AIRMAN?S ABILITY TO PILOT THE HELICOPTER. AN AUTOPSY WAS PERFORMED AND TOXICOLOGY WAS SENT TO CAMI. RESULTS HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED TO DATE. THE AIRMAN WAS APPLYING A PESTICIDE, DANITOL 2.4 EC, WHICH IS A NERVOUS SYSTEM TOXIN, DURING THE WEEK OF THE ACCIDENT. THE DANITOL 2.4 EC WAS APPLIED WITH ONE DOOR OF THE HELICOPTER REMOVED AND WITHOUT THE USE OF A RESPIRATOR.
A DETERMINATION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED SOME SORT OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT COULD NOT BE MADE AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE HELICOPTER WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE AIRWORTHY BY LLB OF THE ST. LOUIS FSDO ON OCTOBER 30, 2013. ON SCENE INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED NO READILY APPARENT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES. THERE APPEARED TO BE PROPER CONTROL CONTINUITY PRIOR TO IMPACT. ON SCENE INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER?S ENGINE ALSO REVEALED NO APPARENT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES. AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS HAVE BEEN REQUESTED FOR REVIEW BUT HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED TO DATE. INSPECTION OF THE NURSE TRUCK, WHICH WAS USED TO FUEL THE HELICOPTER, REVEALED THAT FUEL PUMPED FROM THE FUELING SYSTEM WAS INITIALLY DISCOLORED BUT, TURNED CLEAR AND BLUE AFTER ONE TO TWO GALLONS WERE PUMPED. ANALYSIS OF THE FUEL FILTER AND HOSE HAS YET TO BE COMPLETED.
WEATHER WAS GOOD VFR AND WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A FACTOR.
TO DATE, NO FAA RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THIS ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION. ANY ADDITIONAL FINDINGS RESULTING FROM THE AUTOPSY, TOXICOLOGY, MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVIEW, ENGINE RUN/TEARDOWN, OR FUEL ANALYSIS WILL BE INCLUDED IN AN AMENDED REPORT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS HELICOPTER WAS CERTIFIED AS A RESTRICTED USE 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.
Other reports on N1001N · 3
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