- Date
- June 13, 2008, 13:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place
- Cedar Valley, UT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N54LCSchweizer 269C
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080613834339A
- Case key
- 68222
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 terrain clearance while maneuvering. A contributing factor was the high density altitude.
Findings · 2
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 pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to demonstrate the helicopter's performance at an air show. He traveled from overseas by scheduled airline, arriving 2 days before the air show. The day before the air show he flew the helicopter for 50 minutes of demonstration practice at a similar density altitude to that anticipated for the following day's performance. The accident flight began about 1315, and the first two maneuvers were completed without incident. The third maneuver was "a standard 180-degree 'wing-over' commenced from a standard 300 feet." According to the pilot, the helicopter "failed to fully recover from the descent phase of the maneuver and struck the surface at approximately 40-50 knots." The helicopter rolled onto its left side. The pilot reported that the density altitude at the time of the accident was 8,500 feet. He stated that the accident could have been prevented "possibly by greater awareness and practice at the local density altitude conditions."
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to demonstrate the helicopter's performance at an air show. He traveled from overseas by scheduled airline, arriving 2 days before the air show. The day before the air show he flew the helicopter for 50 minutes of demonstration practice at a similar density altitude to that anticipated for the following day's performance. The accident flight began about 1315, and the first two maneuvers were completed without incident. The third maneuver was "a standard 180-degree 'wing-over' commenced from a standard 300 feet." According to the pilot, the helicopter "failed to fully recover from the descent phase of the maneuver and struck the surface at approximately 40-50 knots." The helicopter rolled onto its left side. The pilot reported that the density altitude at the time of the accident was 8,500 feet. He stated that the accident could have been prevented "possibly by greater awareness and practice at the local density altitude conditions."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54LC
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1581
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air race/show · Part 91
- Operator
- AMW Aerospace LLC, doing business as Whirlybird Helicopters
- Registered owner
- L J Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- UT99 · Cedar Valley, UT
- Destination
- UT99
- Airport
- UT99 · West Desert Airpark, runway 17, 2,600 × 40 ft, asphalt
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
- 75
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 13,750 total · 4,300 in this make and model · 60 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- PVU, 17 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 10, 2008, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.
Other investigations on N54LC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.