History of Flight
On August 19, 2014, about 1100 central daylight time, a McDonnell Douglas 369E helicopter, registration N444RS, operated by Rotorworks LLC, was substantially damaged when it impacted a utility wire and terrain while maneuvering near Northport, Alabama. The commercial pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed for the local flight, which originated from Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (TCL), Tuscaloosa, Alabama, about 1034. The aerial observation flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The operator stated that the pilot was asked to relocate the helicopter from Mobile, Alabama, to Tuscaloosa on the morning of the accident. After fueling and picking up a passenger/observer, the helicopter departed on a flight to inspect a span of high-tension power lines for damage from a storm that passed through the area the previous night.
Satellite tracking data indicated that the helicopter departed TCL about 1034, flew east to intercept the powerline span, then proceeded north along the span. The final recorded position at 1100 showed a GPS altitude of 457 feet, groundspeed of 32 knots, and a track of 27 degrees true, over the western edge of the easement. At about 1130, the power company reported an additional fault on the transmission lines and suspected the helicopter. The accident site was located about 1/4-mile northeast of the last reported position.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 51, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for rotorcraft-helicopter, airplane multiengine land, instrument airplane, and instrument helicopter. He also held a private pilot certificate for airplane single engine land. He was issued a first-class medical certificate on January 21, 2014, with no waivers or limitations. According to the operator, he had accumulated 13,500 total flight hours, including 12,860 in rotorcraft. He had 160 hours in the preceding 90 days and 1,500 hours in the accident helicopter make and model. His most recent flight review was in February 2014.
Aircraft Information
The helicopter was manufactured in 1990 and powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-C20B turboshaft engine. Its most recent annual/100-hour inspection was completed on August 4, 2014, at which time the helicopter had 3,765 total hours. It had accumulated 59 hours since that inspection.
Meteorological Information
Weather at TCL at 1053, about 18 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, included wind from 260 degrees at 5 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, temperature 30°C, dew point 22°C, and altimeter setting 29.97 inches of mercury. At the time of the accident, the sun was 57 degrees above the horizon at an azimuth of about 122 degrees.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was on the eastern edge of the powerline easement in a shallow valley between transmission towers 81 (north) and 82 (south). A shield wire, about 0.35 inches in diameter, was severed about 775 feet north of tower 82 at an estimated height of 150 feet above ground. The helicopter came to rest inverted in a creek bed outside the easement. The fuselage, main rotor, and tailboom were extensively damaged. The main rotor blades exhibited damage consistent with a wire strike. No pre- or post-impact fire was evident. Examination of the engine and flight controls showed no pre-impact anomalies; damage was consistent with impact forces. The fuel system revealed clean fuel, and the engine showed foreign object damage from debris ingestion during operation.
GPS data from a recovered handheld unit provided 181 data points from 1030:46 to 1100:46, showing the helicopter's flight path and final positions. The last recorded data point at 1100:46 indicated a groundspeed of 32 knots and GPS altitude of 537 feet (about 164 feet agl), roughly 410 feet north of tower 82. The tail rotor was recovered about 400 feet northeast of that position.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing found no ethanol or other drugs.