Kaman HH43 B/F N53RH
31 August 1991 · Coleville, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 31 August 1991 at about 15:24 local time, a Kaman HH43 B/F registered N53RH, operated by Rogers Leasing, was involved in an accident near Coleville, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:24
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Coleville, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.4695, -119.4802
- Aircraft
- Kaman HH43 B/F
- Registration
- N53RH
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Rogers Leasing
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Clovis → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX91LA377
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ADEQUATELY CALCULATE THE HELICOPTER PERFORMANCE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A DELAY IN JETTISONING THE EXTERNAL LOAD; THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITIES; AND EXCEEDING OF THE HELICOPTER'S HOVER ABILITY DURING HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITIONS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL HELICOPTER PILOT WAS ENGAGED IN A SALVAGE OPERATION OF THE WRECKAGE OF A WORLD WAR II F-4U CORSAIR, UTILIZING AN EXTERNAL 50 FOOT LONG LINE. ON THE FOURTH TRIP OF THE DAY, THE RADIAL AIRCRAFT ENGINE WITH PROPELLERS ATTACHED, WAS BEING LIFTED FROM RUGGED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT 11000 FEET MSL. THE ENGINE WAS POSITIONED AT THE EDGE OF A ROCKY GLACIAL CHUTE THAT DESCENDED AT ABOUT A 45 DEG ANGLE. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 13000 FEET AND THE EXTERNAL LOAD WEIGHT, EXCEEDED THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY OF THE HELICOPTER. AS THE HELICOPTER ATTEMPTED TO LIFT THE ENGINE, GROUND PERSONNEL OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK SURROUNDING TERRAIN. THE HELICOPTER AND ENGINE TUMBLED DOWN THE MOUNTAIN SIDE, DISINTEGRATING AS IT DESCENDED ABOUT 1/2 MILE DOWNSLOPE. ONE GROUND CREWMEMBER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES FROM FLYING DEBRIS. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Kaman HH43 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jul 1988 | Kaman HH43 | Joseph, Oregon, United States | Michael Ragenovich | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Jan 1995 | Kaman HH43 | Glendale, Arizona, United States | Freeway Aviation | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul 1991 | Cessna C-172P | Hesperia, California, United States | South Bay Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Cessna 172N | Napa, California, United States | Bridgeford Flying SVC. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 1991 | Beechcraft 76 | Sacramento, California, United States | Altair Aviation Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 1991 | Ayres S2R | Visalia, California, United States | Gilbert Aviation Industries | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 Aug 1991 | Cessna 421C | Auburn, California, United States | Edward Mueller | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 1991 | Champion 7GCBC | Lake Elsinore, California, United States | Halbeisen, John F | Fatal | 2 |