History of Flight
On August 2, 2010, about 1900 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, registration N34JS, was substantially damaged when it collided with mountainous terrain while maneuvering near Blood Mountain, Blairsville, Georgia. The certificated private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed around the accident site, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Madison Municipal Airport (52A), Madison, Georgia, about 1830, and was destined for the Brasstown Valley Resort, Young Harris, Georgia. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The flight originated from West Palm Beach, Florida, early on the morning of the accident date. According to fuel receipts, fuel was purchased for the accident helicopter at 1809 at 52A. The airport manager stated that the pilot purchased fuel, advised the resort by telephone of his pending arrival, boarded the helicopter, and departed. When the helicopter did not arrive as expected, a search was initiated, and an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued on August 4, 2010. The wreckage was located from the air by the Civil Air Patrol on August 6, 2010.
A friend of the pilot, who owned a Robinson Helicopter sales and service center, stated that the purpose of the flight was to attend a motorcycle racing event in Georgia. The pilot had asked the friend to accompany him, but the friend declined due to a prior commitment. The friend noted, "He asked me to go and I told him, 'You really need mountain experience before you go.' I gave him a few pointers, but there was no talking him out of it." The friend was not informed of the route of flight.
A witness living about 8 miles south of the accident site reported hearing a small helicopter approach her house between 1800 and 1900. She went outside but could not see it due to trees. She described the sound as smooth and continuous.
Personnel Information
The pilot was issued a private pilot certificate with a rating for rotorcraft-helicopter on September 28, 2009. His logbook was not recovered, and total flight experience could not be determined. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued in May 2009, at which time he reported 11 hours of flight experience.
Aircraft Information
According to FAA records, the helicopter was manufactured in 2006. Maintenance logbooks showed its most recent annual inspection was completed on February 26, 2010, at 299.4 total aircraft hours.
Meteorological Information
At 1853, weather reported at Lee Gilmore Memorial Airport (GVL), 31 miles south of the accident site at 1,276 feet elevation, included scattered clouds at 1,600 feet, an overcast ceiling at 2,500 feet, visibility 5 miles in haze, temperature 26°C, dew point 23°C, and altimeter 30.10 inches of mercury. Winds were from 120° at 3 knots.
A Safety Board senior meteorologist indicated that AIRMET Sierra update number 4 was current for mountain obscuration conditions over the area. GOES-13 visible satellite images around the accident time showed an area of low stratiform clouds over the site, supporting the AIRMET.
The pilot did not request a weather briefing nor file a flight plan prior to the accident flight, according to the Lockheed Martin Office of Quality Assurance.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The helicopter was examined at the site on August 7, 2010. All major components were accounted for. The accident site was on steep, mountainous, heavily wooded terrain at about 3,100 feet elevation, below the peak of Blood Mountain at 4,436 feet. Initial impact points were in trees about 6 feet apart, perpendicular to the direction of flight. Tree scars were consistent with a 200° direction of flight, approximately parallel with the ridge.
The downhill tree displayed a large rectangular scar about 18 by 12 inches. The uphill tree had a deep horizontal slash similar to a main rotor blade leading edge. The main rotor hub and blade assembly with swashplate and support were at the base of the first trees struck. One rotor blade was intact but damaged; the other was fractured and separated about 5 feet outboard of the hub. Blade fragments, including the tip with tip weight, were found farther down the wreckage path.
The initial ground scar was about 30 feet beyond the tree strikes on a 60-degree rock slope with a fall line oriented about 090°. The rest of the helicopter was scattered downslope over about 170 feet. The tail section, with vertical fin, tail rotor gearbox, assembly, and driveshaft, was about 100 feet below the initial scar; these components were impact and fire damaged. One tail rotor blade appeared severely fire-damaged, with skin split along the trailing edge and the core consumed by fire.
The main fuselage, with engine, transmission, and tail boom attached, came to rest against a tree about 40 feet below the tail section. Components were heavily damaged by impact and post-crash fire. Control continuity could not be established, but all breaks were consistent with overload or fire damage. All flight instruments were destroyed or provided no useful information.
A detailed on-site examination was not possible due to terrain and was scheduled later. The wreckage was recovered by helicopter on November 12, 2010. The complete tail rotor, tail rotor gearbox, and empennage were stolen from the site prior to recovery; the tail rotor driveshaft was cut with a saw forward of the gearbox. A detailed examination of the remaining wreckage was conducted in Griffin, Georgia, on November 18, 2010.
The examination showed all airframe and component damage was due to impact and fire. The engine could not be rotated due to damage. Several holes were drilled in the crankcase halves, and powertrain and valve train were examined by borescope, revealing no evidence of abnormal wear or pre-impact mechanical anomaly. The engine cooling fan scroll inlet lip displayed rotational scoring.
The main transmission showed impact and fire damage; continuity was established through the input drive to the main mast. Flight control continuity could not be established due to impact, fire, and missing components.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Division of Forensic Sciences, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, performed the autopsy on the pilot in Decatur, Georgia. The autopsy report indicated the pilot died as a result of "traumatic injuries…due to helicopter crash."
The autopsy noted the pilot had greater than or equal to 60% occlusion of unnamed cardiac vessels. It could not be determined if the pilot would have had symptoms from his coronary artery disease, and thus whether it posed a significant hazard to flight safety.
The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory performed toxicological testing. Tissue specimens tested positive for bupropion, diphenhydramine, and phentermine. Bupropion is an antidepressant; diphenhydramine is an antihistamine; phentermine is a stimulant appetite suppressant. According to the FAA, bupropion and phentermine were not appropriate for use while flying. It could not be determined whether the pilot's use of medications posed a significant hazard to flight safety.
The pilot's medical and pharmacology histories could not be established. Records requests to the pilot's psychiatrist received no response; a subpoena issued July 15, 2011, was signed for but no response followed. The psychiatrist's practice closed, and efforts to locate him were unsuccessful.
On the pilot's May 11, 2009, Application for Airman Medical Certificate, he responded "no" to questions about current medication use and lifetime diagnosis of mental disorders. A review of pharmaceutical records revealed he had filled prescriptions for anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, sleep, stimulant, and heart medications for years prior to his medical application.