C-FXGM

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 17, 2012, at 0636 eastern daylight time, an Aerospatiale AS 355 F2, Canadian registration C-FXGM, operated by Catalyst Aviation LLC, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain shortly after takeoff from Brigham Heliport (4PN5), Erwinna, Pennsylvania. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. Dark night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The positioning flight, destined for Wings Field (LOM), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the operator, the pilot was scheduled to position the helicopter from 4PN5 to LOM, where after fueling; passengers would embark for a local pipeline patrol flight. The pilot reported to the operator his intent to depart from the heliport via a text message that was received at 0637. No further communications were received from the pilot.

Several witnesses reported hearing the helicopter as it overflew their rural neighborhood about the time of the accident. The witnesses reported that it was not unusual to observe the accident pilot operating helicopters from the heliport in his backyard, particularly during his prior years of service as a State Police pilot. The witnesses reported that on the morning of the accident flight, the helicopter they heard sounded "abnormal." The witnesses generally described that the helicopter was low, loud, and that it sounded different than previous times they had heard helicopters departing the heliport. One witness, who happened to be looking out a window at time of the accident, observed two lights that she presumed to be the accident helicopter as they descended into trees behind her home.

After hearing the sounds of impact, some of the witnesses responded to the accident scene and attempted to render assistance.

Several witnesses who lived in the vicinity of the accident site were interviewed separately shortly after the accident. Each was asked to describe the weather and lighting conditions that prevailed at the time. The witnesses consistently described the weather as "foggy," with some stating that it was "very" or "extremely" foggy. One witness described the fog as being very dense, like "pea soup," while another estimated the visibility to be about 1/8th-mile. The witnesses also consistently described the lighting conditions as "dark" or "very dark". Another witness who lived about 1 mile north of the accident site described the weather conditions about 1 hour after the accident as cloudy with no fog. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 52, held an airline transport pilot certificate with a rating for rotorcraft-helicopter, as well as a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. He additionally held a flight instructor certificate with ratings for airplane single engine, rotorcraft-helicopter, and instrument helicopter. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second class medical certificate was issued on July 23, 2012 with the limitation, "must wear corrective lenses."

According to a résumé provided to the operator by the pilot, he was previously employed as a Trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police. Between 1993 and 1996, he was employed as a pilot operating airplanes, after which he operated helicopters through 2004. The pilot was employed as the helicopter unit supervisor between 2004 and 2011. During that period the pilot reported several other part time jobs with other helicopter operators. According to the pilot's personal flight log, his final flight as a State Police pilot was logged on January 5, 2011. When asked to describe the pilot, the operator stated that she was very confident in his abilities, judgment, and training; stating that he was a "go-to" person, and that he was the best representative of the company. She further described the pilot as very safety conscious, and related an anecdote about an instance where the pilot had refused to depart on a daytime mission until a burnt-out position light had been replaced.

The pilot's personal flight log was recovered at the accident site, and reflected flights logged between November 2002 and October 9, 2012. The pilot's flight hours between October 9 and October 14 were recovered from the accident helicopter's maintenance journey log. According to the logs, the pilot had accumulated 7,106 total hours of flight experience, 4,599 hours of which were in helicopters. The pilot recorded about 100 hours of flight experience in the accident helicopter make and model.

As of January 2011, the pilot had accumulated 593 total hours of flight experience at night, 228 hours of which were with the aid of night vision goggles. Between that time and the pilot's most recent flight log entry on October 9, 2012, he had logged an additional 4.1 hours of night flight experience, 2.9 hours of which were accumulated in the 90 days preceding the accident in the accident helicopter make and model.

According to the operator's records, the pilot's most recent FAR Part 135 recurrent check was completed on April 27, 2012. While a remark on the evaluation form noted, "Inadvertent IMC tested & passed," the proficiency check did not cover instrument operations. According to the pilot's personal flight records, his most recent instrument proficiency check was completed in an airplane on February 25, 2012. The pilot's most recent logged instrument flight experience in a helicopter included 0.3 hours of simulated instrument experience logged in June 2010, and 1.0 hour of simulated instrument experience logged June 2008. No evidence of any more recent instrument flight experience in helicopters or an instrument proficiency check in a helicopter was contained within the pilot's personal flight log or other records provided by the operator.

Activities Preceding the Accident

The operator entered into a lease agreement with the accident helicopter's owner for use of the helicopter while another of the operator's helicopters underwent repairs. The accident pilot subsequently retrieved the accident helicopter from the owner on October 7, and flew it from Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), Buffalo, New York, to one of his homes in Binghamton, New York. After performing four local flights in the vicinity of Binghamton between October 9 and 12, the pilot positioned the helicopter to his home at 4PN5 on October 14. The operator last contacted the pilot via telephone on October 16 at 2000. At that time the pilot was at the local fire department, receiving training as a volunteer fireman.

On the morning of the accident the pilot was scheduled to arrive at LOM about 0730 in preparation for the pipeline patrol flight that was to follow. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONAccording to the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register, the accident helicopter was manufactured in 1991, and imported to Canada in 2010. The helicopter was equipped with a three-blade main rotor system and two Rolls Royce/Allison 250-C20F engines each rated at 420 horse power. According to the operator, the helicopter was not equipped for operation in instrument meteorological conditions.

The helicopter's most recent annual inspection was completed on February 21, 2012, and at that time the helicopter had accumulated 7,534 total flight hours. According to the maintenance journey log, which was recovered from the wreckage, the helicopter had accumulated 7,556 total flight hours prior to the accident flight. A log entry made by the accident pilot on the date of the accident noted compliance with Airworthiness Directives 2001-26-55 (tail rotor blade inspection) and 2011-22-05 (tail rotor control rod bearing play inspection) and that no discrepancies were found during either inspection. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe National Weather Service (NWS) Area Forecast applicable to the area surrounding the accident site, which was issued at 0445, predicted broken to scattered ceiling with visual meteorological conditions generally prevailing around the region. No AIRMETS or SIGMETS were current for the area of the accident flight at the time of the accident.

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite -14 infrared satellite image for 0645 depicted a band of mid-level stratiform-type clouds over the accident site with a radiative cloud top temperature that corresponded to cloud tops near 16,000 feet. The first available visible satellite image at 0732 showed a band of low stratiform clouds or fog/mist over the accident site, and along the Delaware River Valley.

The weather conditions at Doylestown Airport (DYL), Doylestown, Pennsylvania, located about 11 nautical miles south of the accident site, at 0654, included calm winds, clear skies below 12,000 feet, 10 statute miles visibility, a temperature and dew point of 1 degree C, and an altimeter setting of 29.99 inches of mercury.

The weather conditions at LOM, located about 25 nautical miles southwest of the accident site, at 0635, included calm winds, clear skies below 12,000 feet, 5 statute miles visibility, a temperature and dew point of 3 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 29.97 inches of mercury.

According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, on October 9, 2012, the beginning of civil twilight occurred at 0648 and sunrise occurred at 0716. The moon set at 1902 on the preceding evening, and did not rise again until 0949 on the morning of the accident.

Several witnesses who lived in the vicinity of the accident site were interviewed separately shortly after the accident. Each was asked to describe the weather and lighting conditions that prevailed at the time. The witnesses consistently described the weather as "foggy," with some stating that it was "very" or "extremely" foggy. One witness described the fog as being very dense, like "pea soup," while another estimated the visibility to be about 1/8th-mile. The witnesses also consistently described the ligh...