- Date
- December 11, 1992, 21:29 local (Dec 12, 1992, 03:29 UTC)
- Place
- Forney, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5046FHiller FH-1100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921211049909A
- Case key
- 18582
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 failure to maintain control of the helicopter as a result of his physical impairment due to alcohol. Factors contributing to the accident were: the dark night and the pilot's likely diversion of his attention from operating the helicopter.
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 was returning from his ranch near edom en route to the redbird airport in dallas where the helicopter was normally hangared. The pilot had been working at his ranch with the foreman, and they had consumed alcohol during the day while they were working. Witnesses observed the helicopter flying at low altitude near the accident site. The helicopter was also seen descending into open fields and behind tree lines, and was seen seconds later climbing to altitude. The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground in an aprx 60 deg left bank. The pilot and his dog were jettisoned from the helicopter during impact. The pilot was found clutching a cellular phone in his right hand. The pilot's blood alcohol level was 248 mg/dl.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5046F
- Reported as
- Hiller FH-1100
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 192
- Airframe hours
- 6,870
- Engine
- Allison 250-C18BR, 274 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ledbetter, Lonnie K.
- Registered owner
- Ledbetter, Lonnie K.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 22, 1992 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Edom, TX
- Destination
- RBD · Dallas, TX
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,890 total · 88 in this make and model · 1,766 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 150° at 18 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.