- Date
- May 16, 1994, 07:20 local (11:20 UTC)
- Place
- Hiram, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N160CASchweizer 269C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940516011049A
- Case key
- 3385
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The inadvertent flight from VMC conditions to IMC conditions by the pilot. A factor in the accident was the ground fog in the area.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that following takeoff from the helipad located at his home, he encountered rolling fog. The visibility immediately reduced to less than that required for flight under visual flight conditions. He attempted to slowly descend to land the aircraft. The aircraft struck the trees, and then impacted the terrain.
Factual narrative
On May 16, 1994, at 0720 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer 269C, N160CA, was substantially damaged following a collision with trees and the terrain near Hiram, Georgia. The commercial pilot received serious injuries in the accident. The helicopter was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by the pilot. Instrument meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed for the business flight. The flight departed the pilot's residence in Hiram, and was enroute to the pilot's place of business in Villa Rica, Georgia.
The pilot reported that, at the time of departure, the weather at his residence was sufficient for flight under visual flight rules. He stated that after departure, he encountered a fog bank, started a 180 degree turn, and descended slowly attempting to land. During the turn, he contacted the trees and crashed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N160CA
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1554
- Airframe hours
- 895
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-DIA, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Cangemi, Richard S.
- Registered owner
- East-West Express, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 29, 1994 · 8 hours before
- Destination
- NONE · Villa Rica, GA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 725 total · 120 in this make and model · 600 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FTY, 15 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.