Agusta A109A II N1QF
1 December 1994 · Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 1 December 1994 at about 16:07 local time, a Agusta A109A II registered N1QF, operated by Metro Aviation, Inc., was involved in an accident near Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 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 16:07
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
- Coordinates
- 42.3303, -83.7002
- Aircraft
- Agusta A109A II
- Registration
- N1QF
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Metro Aviation, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Howell
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI95FA050
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to obtain/maintain a successful autorotation. Factors were: a loss of engine power of one engine for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's shutdown of the wrong engine.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR TWO MINUTES WHEN THE PILOT REQUESTED LANDING PERMISSION STATING, IN PART, 'I'D LIKE TO PROCEED INBOUND...SINGLE ENGINE LANDING, PLEASE.' HE CANCELLED THIS REQUEST IMMEDIATELY AND REPORTED '...I'M GOING DOWN AT THIS TIME.' HE THEN CONTACTED THE DISPATCH WHERE HE HAD DEPARTED AND REPORTED THE POSITION OF HIS INTENDED LANDING. AFTER THIS RADIO CALL, 23 TO 25 SECONDS PASSED BEFORE HIS LAST COMMUNICATION INDICATING AN IMMINENT CRASH. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS NEARLY SILENT JUST PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT AND THAT THERE WAS NO ENGINE NOISE AT ALL AFTER IMPACT. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT NEITHER ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT; HOWEVER, NO MECHANICAL REASON FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OR NECESSITY FOR AN ENGINE SHUTDOWN BY THE PILOT WAS DETERMINED. DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR SYSTEM INDICATED THAT RPM WAS EXTREMELY LOW AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Agusta A109A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Sep 1995 | Agusta A109A II | Winslow, Washington, United States | Hospital Air Transport | Fatal | 3 |
| 6 Sep 1996 | Agusta A109A II | Flamingo, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 1989 | Agusta A109A MKII | Lacey Township, New Jersey, United States | Paramount Aviation | Fatal | 5 |
| 9 Apr 1988 | Agusta A109A | Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States | Rocky Mountain Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 2001 | Agusta A109A | Hanapepe, Kauai, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 2002 | Agusta A109A II | Baring, Washington, United States | CJ Systems Aviation Group | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 1994 | Cessna 172N | Lambertville, Michigan, United States | Davis College | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 1994 | Beechcraft 19 | Ionia, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 1994 | Hunsberger GLASAIR | Lapeer, Michigan, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 1994 | Beechcraft K35 | Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States | Richard J. van Lente | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 1994 | Cessna T210M | Beaver Island, Michigan, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Cessna 441 | Flint, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |