History of Flight
On October 17, 2012, at 0636 eastern daylight time, an Aerospatiale AS 355 F2, Canadian registration C-FXGM, operated by Catalyst Aviation LLC, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain shortly after takeoff from Brigham Heliport (4PN5), Erwinna, Pennsylvania. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Dark night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The positioning flight, destined for Wings Field (LOM), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the operator, the pilot was scheduled to position the helicopter from 4PN5 to LOM, where after fueling, passengers would embark for a local pipeline patrol flight. The pilot reported his intent to depart via a text message received at 0637. No further communications were received.
Several witnesses reported hearing the helicopter as it overflew their rural neighborhood. They described the sound as "abnormal," low, and loud. One witness observed two lights descending into trees behind her home. After hearing impact sounds, some witnesses responded to the scene.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 52, held an airline transport pilot certificate for rotorcraft-helicopter, along with commercial and flight instructor certificates. He held an FAA second-class medical certificate issued July 23, 2012, with the limitation "must wear corrective lenses." According to a résumé, he was previously a Pennsylvania State Police trooper and helicopter unit supervisor. The operator described him as safety-conscious.
The pilot's personal flight log showed 7,106 total flight hours, 4,599 in helicopters, and about 100 hours in the accident make and model. He had logged 593 total night hours as of January 2011, with an additional 4.1 night hours thereafter, including 2.9 in the accident helicopter in the preceding 90 days. His most recent FAR Part 135 recurrent check was on April 27, 2012, and his most recent instrument proficiency check was in an airplane on February 25, 2012. No evidence of recent instrument flight experience in helicopters was found.
Aircraft Information
The helicopter was manufactured in 1991 and imported to Canada in 2010. It was equipped with a three-blade main rotor system and two Rolls Royce/Allison 250-C20F engines. According to the operator, it was not equipped for instrument meteorological conditions. The most recent annual inspection was completed on February 21, 2012, at 7,534 total flight hours. The accident flight accumulated 7,556 total hours. A log entry noted compliance with Airworthiness Directives for tail rotor inspections, with no discrepancies found.
Meteorological Information
The National Weather Service area forecast issued at 0445 predicted broken to scattered ceilings with visual meteorological conditions. No AIRMETS or SIGMETS were current. Satellite imagery showed mid-level clouds and later low clouds or fog over the accident site.
At Doylestown Airport (DYL), 11 nautical miles south, weather at 0654 included calm winds, clear skies below 12,000 feet, 10 statute miles visibility. At Wings Field (LOM), 25 nautical miles southwest, weather at 0635 included calm winds, clear skies, 5 statute miles visibility. The U.S. Naval Observatory indicated civil twilight began at 0648, sunrise at 0716; the moon set at 1902 the previous evening and rose at 0949.
Witnesses consistently described the weather as "foggy," with some reporting "very" or "extremely" foggy, one describing "pea soup" fog, and another estimating 1/8-mile visibility. Lighting conditions were described as "dark" or "very dark." One witness about 1 mile north reported cloudy conditions with no fog about an hour after the accident.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was in a densely wooded area approximately 1,000 feet northeast of the heliport. Initial impact point (IIP) was identified by damaged tree limbs about 75 feet above ground, similar to the heliport elevation. A wreckage path about 300 feet long, oriented roughly 350 degrees magnetic, extended to the main wreckage against a tree. The main wreckage was largely consumed by post-impact fire.
The tailboom separated from the fuselage forward of the horizontal stabilizer. Both engines exhibited impact and thermal damage. Detailed examination revealed dirt and debris ingestion signatures, but no pre-impact mechanical anomalies were noted.
Additional Information
The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook describes night flying challenges and spatial disorientation. The FAA Instrument Flying Handbook notes the somatogravic illusion. The FAA publication Medical Facts for Pilots describes the "graveyard spiral" illusion.
The helicopter was not equipped with flight data recording devices. A hand-held GPS recovered from the wreckage showed the initial data point at 0634 on the helipad. The helicopter began tracking northeast at 0635:59 at a GPS altitude of 442 feet. Over the next 27 seconds, the helicopter's position data ended.