ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 43812
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| Date: | Sunday 22 April 2007 |
| Time: | 20:31 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 II |
| Owner/operator: | Groen Concrete Corporation |
| Registration: | N382BT |
| MSN: | 10107 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2003 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 513 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bass Lake, North Bend Township, Starke County, Indiana -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Starke County Airport, Knox, Indiana (OXI/KOXI) |
| Bass Lake, North Bend Township, Starke County, Indiana | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On April 22, 2007, at 20:31 CDT (Central Daylight Time), a Robinson R44 II helicopter, N382BT, owned and piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted water during approach to a residence on the shore of Bass Lake, North Bend Township, Starke County, Indiana. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The flight departed the Starke County Airport, Knox, Indiana (OXI), at 20:23 EDT after refueling.
Witnesses reported hearing the helicopter approach from the northwest and continuing across the lake toward the pilot's residence. As the helicopter crossed the lake, it was observed to descend steadily towards the water, hover for about 1-2 seconds, then fall vertically from approximately 40-50 feet into the lake. The helicopter impacted the water about 1/4 mile from the intended landing area.
The helicopter was found submerged in 18 feet of water, located about 1/4 mile from the pilot's landing area on the northeast side of the lake. The helicopter was located about 1/2 mile from the northwest shoreline. The wreckage was salvaged from the lake and secured at the departure airport before the NTSB investigator arrived on scene. The main fuselage structure was found resting upright on its landing skids. The fuselage structure, cabin, landing skids, engine and main transmission had sustained minor impact damage. The altimeter's Kollsman window was set to 29.86 inches of mercury. Examination of the airframe and flight control system components revealed no evidence of a pre-impact mechanical malfunction. The main rotor blades remained attached to their respective blade grips. The main transmission rotated freely when the main rotor system was rotated. The sprag clutch operated as designed. Flight control continuity was established from the cyclic and collective cockpit controls to the swash plate assembly. The three hydraulic flight control actuators had minor impact damage. One of the blade pitch change links was fractured. The fracture surface was consistent with an overload failure.
The entire tail boom was separated from the main fuselage. Flight control continuity was established from the anti-torque pedals to the tail rotor assembly. All observed separations exhibited fracture surfaces consistent with overload failure. The tail rotor driveshaft was fractured where the tail boom had separated from the fuselage. The driveshaft fracture exhibited signatures consistent with overload. The tail rotor gearbox rotated freely when the tail rotor was rotated. One of the tail rotor blades was missing a majority of its span. The fractured blade root exhibited signatures consistent with an overload failure. The missing blade portion was not recovered.
At the time of the accident, the lake water and outside air temperatures were 52 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively.
At 20:28 CDT, Starke County Emergency Dispatch began receiving calls that a helicopter had crashed in Bass Lake and there were multiple survivors in the water. Several individuals initiated a rescue using their personal watercraft. As they approached the passenger's position, she was still conscious and was calling-out for assistance. However, the passenger had lost consciousness when she was recovered from the lake. The boaters administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as they traveled to shore. At 20:52 CDT, the passenger was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. The medics continued to administer CPR throughout the ground transport. At 20:58 CDT, the passenger arrived at the hospital in cardiac arrest with a body temperature of 86.7 degrees Fahrenheit. Emergency room personnel continued CPR and covered the passenger with warm blankets in an attempt to raise her body temperature. At 21:30 EDT, one hour after the crash, the passenger's body temperature was 93.4 degrees Fahrenheit when all treatment was discontinued.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain a proper approach glide path, which resulted in a settling-with-power flight condition. Contributing to the accident was the dark night light condition.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. NTSB Identification: CHI07FA114 at https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20070430X00482&ntsbno=CHI07FA114&akey=1
2. FAA Registration: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=N382BT
3. Lloyds List: http://dione.lib.unipi.gr/xmlui/bitstream/handle/unipi/1920/Lloyd_s_Casualty_Week_May_4_2.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y page 19
4. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=13459
5. http://www.topix.com/forum/county/starke-in/TMBF3BQC2Q6T5I2DE/n-ind-helicopter-crash-kills-1/p14.
6. https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/helicopter-crashes-in-bass-lake-dead/article_50f167d6-0432-550d-9881-dfd2814de086.html
7. https://www.wndu.com/home/headlines/7294226.html
8. https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/second-body-recovered-from-bass-lake/article_26b49c12-4e5e-560c-863d-1a854f82cd6b.html
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Lake,_Indiana
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 06-Jun-2014 16:31 | TB | Updated [Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 04-Dec-2017 18:35 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Cn, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 31-Oct-2018 01:59 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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