Boeing A75N1(PT17) N49739
21 August 2011 · Mt. Clemens, Michigan, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 21 August 2011 at about 17:35 local time, a Boeing A75N1(PT17) registered N49739 was involved in an accident near Mt. Clemens, Michigan, United States. 3 people were on board and one died. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:35
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Mt. Clemens, Michigan, United States
- Nearest airport
- Selfridge Air Natl Guard Base (MTC)
- Coordinates
- 42.6083, -82.8356
- Aircraft
- Boeing A75N1(PT17)
- Registration
- N49739
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Air Race/Show
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Mt. Clemens → Mt. Clemens
- Aircraft damage
- Not recorded
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN11LA606
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The wing walker’s decision to release his grip of the airplane during an attempted aerial transfer from airplane to helicopter before both aircraft achieved the proper relative positioning for the transfer.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The accident occurred during an air show routine as a wing walker attempted an aerial transfer from an airplane to a helicopter. The pilots of both aircraft reported that the aerial transfer was planned to occur on the third pass along the air show line. The initial passes went according to plan. However, on the third pass, the wing walker attempted to grab the helicopter skid before the two aircraft reached the briefed transfer point. The helicopter pilot stated that the wing walker released his hold on the airplane handle and lunged with both hands for the helicopter skid before the aircraft were in position. He reported that the wing walker attempted to go back to the airplane, but was unable to grab on to anything. The wing walker subsequently fell, impacting a grass area within the air show performance area. Both aircraft involved landed safely after the accident, without damage to either aircraft. The wing walker sustained fatal injuries.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing A75N1(PT17) | N49739 | - | - |
| Schweizer HUGHES 269C | N7505B | Helibatics LLC | - |
Other Boeing A75N1PT17 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Mar 2011 | Boeing A75N1(PT17) | Wichita, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 2011 | Boeing A75N1(PT17) | Junction City, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Aug 2011 | Boeing A75N1(PT17) | Fabens, Texas, United States | Doyle Lois A | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Oct 2010 | Boeing A75N1(PT17) | Palm Springs, California, United States | Kent Thomas | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 2012 | Boeing A75N1(PT17) | Weirsdale, Florida, United States | Reed Peter B | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jun 2012 | Boeing A75N1(PT17) | Glencoe, Minnesota, United States | Perschau Daniel F | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 2011 | Taylorcraft DCO-65 | Boyne City, Michigan, United States | Balogh Eugene W | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Aug 2011 | Aero Commander CALLAIR A-9B | Marshall, Michigan, United States | Marshall Soaring Club Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Jul 2011 | Degraw RHINO II | Jackson, Michigan, United States | Degraw Richard R Trustee | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 2011 | Piper PA-32-260 | St. Ignace, Michigan, United States | Great Lakes Air Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Oct 2011 | Brinkerhuff Gerald G Q200 | Holland, Michigan, United States | Brinkerhuff Gerald G | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Jul 2011 | Dixon VOLKSPLANE VP-1 | Jackson, Michigan, United States | Dixon Bartley M | Minor injuries | - |