ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 83225
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| Date: | Wednesday 8 December 2010 |
| Time: | 05:40 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 |
| Owner/operator: | Bravo Helicopters LLC |
| Registration: | N451DB |
| MSN: | 1395 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2043 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540 SERIES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 32298 US Highway 98, Canal Point, Palm Beach County, Florida -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Canal Point, Palm Beach County, Florida |
| Canal Point, Palm Beach County, Florida | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed at 05:40 EST on December 8, 2010, at 32298 US Highway 98, Canal Point, Palm Beach County, Florida (near southeastern edge of Lake Okeechokbee, at approximate coordinates 26'71.6667"N, 80'58.3333"W). Pilot reported as Alfred Morrison (aged 53) Heavy landing in corn field and helicopter ended up on its side. Helicopter was involved in low-level operations to keep frost from forming on crops
According to the pilot, at 00:30 EST he was called to fly for the purpose of frost mitigation. At 05:40 EST, while flying over an agricultural field about 30 feet above ground level, he began his last pass over the field, and fell asleep. Subsequently, the helicopter impacted the ground and came to rest on its left side. He said that the previous day he awoke about 07:00 EST, and went on duty at 18:00 EST. About 19:30 EST, he flew the helicopter on a 1-hour flight and attempted to take a nap at 21:00 EST. The nap was interrupted with noise and lights constantly being turned on and off, and he accrued no more than 1 hour of rest.
An examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, rotor system, and tail boom. There were no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter. At the time of the accident the pilot had no more than 1 hour of restless sleep in the previous 22 hours 40 minutes. He also reported that he did not normally fly at night.
Probable Cause: Pilot fatigue due to lack of sleep resulting in incapacitation (falling asleep) and ground contact while maneuvering at a low altitude. Robinson R44 N451DB was presumably written off (damaged beyond repair) as the registration was cancelled by the FAA on February 10, 2011, just over three months later
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
2. FAA Registration: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=N451DB
3. http://helihub.com/2010/12/08/08-dec-10-n451db-robinson-r44-canal-point-us-florida/
4. http://www.cbs12.com/news/pahokee-4729971-helicopter-happened.htm
5. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-palm-beach-helicopter-crash-20101208,0,7829814.story
6. https://uk.flightaware.com/resources/registration/N451DB
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_Point,_Florida
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Dec-2010 15:20 | bizjets101 | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 15-May-2017 09:21 | helicoman | Updated [Source] |
| 15-May-2017 09:53 | helicoman | Updated [Narrative] |
| 26-Nov-2017 18:43 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Nov-2018 22:13 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 10-Nov-2018 22:14 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 10-Nov-2018 22:16 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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