ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 40793
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| Date: | Thursday 18 May 1989 |
| Time: | 18:30 |
| Type: |  Hughes 269C |
| Owner/operator: | Brad Alcorn |
| Registration: | N58228 |
| MSN: | 290771 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1978 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Rocksprings, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE PLT WAS FLYING LOW & HERDING ANTELOPE, WHEN THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE TERRAIN & WAS DESTROYED. HE WAS STILL CONSCIOUS AFTER THE ACDNT, BUT DIED ABOUT 3 HRS LATER. BEFORE DYING, HE SAID THE ENG HAD LOST POWER; HOWEVER, NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE LED TO A POWER LOSS. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE HELICOPTER HAD IMPACTED IN A LEFT BANK, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. ALL 3 MAIN ROTOR BLADES HAD EVIDENCE OF HIGH FLAPPING ANGLES AT IMPACT. TOXICOLOGY CHECKS OF THE PLT'S BLOOD, LIVER & KIDNEY REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF NORDIAZEPAM AT LEVELS OF 0.104 MG/L, 0.846 MG/L & 0.427 MG/L, RESPECTIVELY. THE TOXICOLOGIST RPRTD THE THERAPEUTIC RANGE FOR NORDIAZEPAM IN BLOOD WAS 0.02 TO 0.18 MG/L. NORDIAZAPAM IS A SEDATIVE & CNS DEPRESSANT WHICH IS NOT APPROVED FOR FLYING. CAUSE: THE PILOT DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION FROM OPERATION OF THE HELICOPTER, FAILED TO MAINTIAN PROPER ROTOR RPM, AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE (CLEARANCE) ABOVE THE GROUND, WHILE MANEUVERING AT LOW ALTITUDE. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS HIS IMPAIRMENT FROM USE OF A PRESCRIPTION DRUG (NORDIAZEPAM OR DIAZEPAM), WHICH WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH FLYING.
Sources:
NTSB: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001213X28311
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
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