- Date
- October 11, 2008, 09:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Florence, AZ
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8567FBell 47J-2A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20081011850229A
- Case key
- 69265
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 compensation for a wind shift encountered during the landing approach, which resulted in a hard landing and rollover. Contributing to the accident was the encounter with the wind shift.
Findings · 3
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 he was preparing to land the helicopter at an off airport landing site and encountered a wind shift or wind shear on base leg that resulted in an uncommanded yaw followed by a rapid descent rate. Before impacting the ground the pilot was able to reduce the descent rate and level the helicopter. The accident site was desert terrain that sloped downward from the right to the left. During the accident sequence the helicopter rolled over. The pilot said that people on the ground told him that just prior to the accident there was a sudden wind storm that passed through the area that forced the people on the ground to take shelter inside an enclosure to escape the wind. The pilot stated that he had no communication with the people at the landing site and no knowledge of the wind storm. The pilot further stated that the helicopter and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. The closest weather observation station, located 25 miles to the west, was reporting westerly winds at 20 knots, with gusts to 26 knots, at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was preparing to land the helicopter at an off airport landing site and encountered a wind shift or wind shear on base leg that resulted in an uncommanded yaw followed by a rapid descent rate. Before impacting the ground, the pilot was able to reduce the descent rate and level the helicopter. The accident site was desert terrain that sloped downward from the right to the left. During the accident sequence the helicopter rolled over. The pilot said that people on the ground told him that just prior to the accident there was a sudden wind storm that passed through the area that forced the people on the ground to take shelter inside an enclosure to escape the wind. The pilot stated that he had no communication with the people at the landing site and no knowledge of the wind storm. The pilot further stated that the helicopter and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. The closest weather observation station, located 25 miles to the west, was reporting westerly winds at 20 knots, with gusts to 26 knots, at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8567F
- Reported as
- Bell 47J-2A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3714
- Airframe hours
- 9,537
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540 SERIES, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Loflite LLC
- Registered owner
- Loflite LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- Florence, AZ
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 23, 2008
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 8 in this make and model · 45 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 20 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.72 inHg
- Observed at
- CGZ, 25 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.
Other investigations on N8567F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.