- Date
- September 19, 2015, 09:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Hartford, AL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N141LLHughes 269B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA- Birmingham FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150919016339A
- Case key
- 92002
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 pilot's inadequate preflight planning, and his subsequent failure to attain adequate altitude during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a wire fence.
Findings · 4
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
The helicopter pilot was departing from a field at a family farm and attempted to clear an adjacent driveway when the left skid toe caught on the top of a wire fence. The pilot applied aft cyclic in an attempt to climb; however, the helicopter rolled to the left and impacted the ground. The main rotor, tail rotor, and airframe sustained substantial damage. Subsequent examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions which would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 3,900 hours of total flight experience in rotorcraft, which included 160 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter. He further reported that the accident could have been prevented had he conducted a walk around of the takeoff area to better evaluate prospective hazards.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the helicopter was taking off from a field at farm, and attempted to clear a driveway, when the left skid toe caught on the top of a wire fence. The pilot applied aft cyclic in an attempt to climb; however, the helicopter rolled to the left and impacted the ground. The main rotor, tail rotor, and airframe sustained substantial damage. Subsequent examination of the helicopter did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions which would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported about 3,900 hours of total flight experience in rotorcraft, which included 160 hours in the same make and model as the accident helicopter. He further reported that the accident could have been prevented had he conducted a walk around of the takeoff area to better evaluate prospective hazards.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N141LL
- Reported as
- Hughes 269B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 670318
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 5,092
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Eagel Aviation Academy
- Registered owner
- Smith Suzanne
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 16, 2015
- Departed
- 54J · Defuniak Springs, FL
- Destination
- Hartford, AL
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5,154 total · 160 in this make and model · 4,856 as pilot in command · 214 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- OZR, 15 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 22, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB 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.