ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44158
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| Date: | Thursday 13 April 2006 |
| Time: | 18:40 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 II |
| Owner/operator: | IL Falconiere Holdings LLC |
| Registration: | N123CK |
| MSN: | 10190 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2003 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 506 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Gillespie County Airport, near Fredericksburg, Texas. -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Gillespie County Airport, near Fredericksburg, Texas (FAA LID:T82) |
| Private ranch, near Austin, Texas | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On April 13, 2006, approximately 18:40 CDT (Central Daylight Time), a single-engine Robinson R44 II helicopter, N123CK, was destroyed when it impacted the ground following an in-flight collision with power lines during takeoff from the Gillespie County Airport (T82), near Fredericksburg, Texas. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries, and two other passengers were fatally injured. One was killed immediately, the other dying 24 hours later of burn injuries sustained.The helicopter was registered to IL Falconiere Holdings LLC, of Austin, Texas, and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident, and according to local authorities, its destination was to a private ranch near Austin, Texas.
Several witnesses observed the taxi and takeoff, including the helicopter's collision with the power lines. The following information was obtained from these statements. After topping-off the fuel tanks about 18:00 CDT from an airport fuel truck, the pilot hovered-taxied the helicopter from a parking-apron location between the airport's hotel and restaurant toward the southeastern end of the apron. There are two exits from the apron onto a parallel taxiway for the airport's one asphalt runway (5,202 feet by 75 feet); however, the helicopter did not turn onto the parallel taxiway, but departed in an easterly direction approximately 15-20 feet above the ground from the southern edge of the apron.
The helicopter flew between two light fixtures, which are about 35 feet tall and 150 feet apart, before colliding with power lines running in a north/south direction. After the helicopter collided with the power lines, witnesses stated that the helicopter continued on an easterly heading with wire wrapped around the main rotor "while the nose of the aircraft appeared to be pulled down until the aircraft was in a vertical nose-down attitude." At the time of the accident, many fixed-wing aircraft were parked on the apron area, and two other helicopters were parked on a grassy area at the southern edge of the asphalt apron.
The power lines were reported to be approximately 32 feet above the ground, and were situated along the eastern edge of the airport's property, about 220 feet from the edge of the apron. The Gillespie County Airport does not have a control tower; the taxiway and runway (Runway 14/32) are oriented in a northwest-southeast direction.
A representative from Central Texas Electric Co-op reported that the three top primary conductor wires, including the cross arm, were yanked from a power line pole by the helicopter. The poles are approximately 276 feet apart, and the conductor wires are 0.313 inches in diameter.
The on-scene investigation was conducted by the NTSB investigator-in-charge on April 14, 2006. The Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates recorded at the accident site using a hand-held unit were latitude 30 degrees 14.03 minutes North and longitude 98 degrees 54.02 minutes West. The helicopter impacted the ground and came to rest in a drainage ditch on a heading of 032 degrees, approximately 265 feet from the airport property and power lines. The elevation was recorded at 1,688 feet. The first evidence of impact was a ground scar about 39 feet southwest of the wreckage, which showed a clean slice in the soil that was 36 inches long and 9 inches deep. One piece of power line wire extended 148 feet from the helicopter to the cross arm that was yanked from the power line pole. Another piece of power line wire that was wrapped around the main rotor and tail rotor extended outward 18 feet.
The cabin area was completely destroyed by a post impact fire that consumed the forward portion of the helicopter, including most of the flight instruments. No evidence of circuit breakers or warning lights was identified. The tail boom and tail rotor were attached to the fuselage, but not burned. A power line was found wrapped around the rotor head and passing around the tail rotor gearbox. The burned and warped main rotor blades remained attached to the rotor head. One main rotor blade was bent rearward; the other was bent upward and rearward. The engine was still attached to the rear section of the fuselage frame, and exhibited little impact damage, but was extensively damaged by fire. The forward portion of the main fuel tank was destroyed by fire. The auxiliary tank was unattached and located adjacent to the engine area; airport personal stated that they removed the fuel cap and drained approximately one gallon of fuel during the wreckage recovery.
On April 16, 2006, the helicopter was recovered from the accident site to a hangar located at the Gillespie County Airport (T82) for further examination.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the power lines. Contributing factors were the dusk light condition and the pilot's non-compliance with standard taxi and takeoff procedures.
Additional: Craig Nemec, one of the two survivors, who suffered burns on more than 50 percent of his body, and died in June 2007 (14 months later) from his injuries. A lawsuit was instigated by his family, and was settled for substantial (but undisclosed) damages. The key point of the lawsuit was that the Robinson R44 was not fitted with "bladder-type fuel tanks" which could have contained the fire from the fuel leak. "Their determination of probable cause looked at why the helicopter hit the ground. The NTSB didn't bother to examine why everybody got horribly injured," said attorney Michael Slack, who represented the Nemec family in its lawsuit against Robinson Helicopter Company (see links #3 & #5). While the bladder-type tanks are now standard, many older Robinson helicopters still have older tanks, as the retrofit of these tanks is not mandatory.
Accident investigation:
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Sources:
1. NTSB Accident Number: DFW06FA102 at https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20060419X00461&key=1
2. FAA Registry: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=123CK
3. http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2014/07/pilots-blamed-for-fatal-crashes-in.html
4. http://www.kens5.com/news/Unfit-for-Flight-Pilots-blamed-for-fatal-crashes-in-aircraft-that-had-mechanical-flaws-265905571.html
5. https://www.slackdavis.com/press/unfit-for-flight/
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 05-Dec-2017 09:06 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Oct-2018 00:06 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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