- Date
- December 8, 2010, 05:40 local (10:40 UTC)
- Place
- Canal Point, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N451DBRobinson Helicopter R44
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101208054589A
- Case key
- 77958
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
Pilot fatigue due to lack of sleep resulting in incapacitation (falling asleep) and ground contact while maneuvering at a low altitude.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, at 0030 he was called to fly for the purpose of frost mitigation. At 0540, while flying over an agricultural field about 30 feet above ground level, he began his last pass over the field, and fell asleep. Subsequently, the helicopter impacted the ground and came to rest on its left side. He said that the previous day he awoke about 0700, and went on duty at 1800. About 1930, he flew the helicopter on a 1-hour flight and attempted to take a nap at 2100. The nap was interrupted with noise and lights constantly being turned on and off, and he accrued no more than 1 hour of rest. An examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, rotor system, and tail boom. There were no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter. At the time of the accident the pilot had no more than 1 hour of restless sleep in the previous 22 hours 40 minutes. He also reported that he did not normally fly at night.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the previous day he awoke about 0700, and went on duty at 1800. About 1930, he flew the helicopter on a 1-hour flight and attempted to take a nap at 2100. The nap was interrupted with noise and lights constantly being turned on and off, and he accrued no more than 1 hour of rest. At 0030, on the morning of the accident, he was called to fly for the purpose of frost mitigation. About 0540, while flying over an agricultural field about 30 feet above ground level, he began his last pass over the field, and "fell asleep." Subsequently, the helicopter impacted the ground and came to rest on its left side resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, rotor system, and tail boom. An examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed there were no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter. At the time of the accident the pilot had no more than 1 hour of restless sleep in the previous 22 hours 40 minutes. The pilot also reported that he did not normally fly at night.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N451DB
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1395
- Airframe hours
- 2,043
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540 SERIES, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Bravo Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Bravo Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 15, 2010
- Departed
- NONE · Canal Point, FL
- Destination
- NONE · Canal Point, FL
- Airport
- NONE · None
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 7, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 270 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- OBE, 30 nm away
Docket · 8
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 22, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 807 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.