Agusta A109 accident near Clifton, Arizona, September 12, 1984
On September 12, 1984 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Agusta A109 (helicopter), registered N57BL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clifton, Arizona (Greenlee CO. airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 1984 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Clifton, Arizona · Greenlee CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Agusta A109 · all A109s on the register
- Registration
- N57BL · no longer on the register · serial 7199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE LANDED FIRMLY ON THE GROUND AT THE MAIN RAMP & WENT INTO THE 2 MIN COOL DOWN MODE FOR ENG SHUTDOWN. HE STATED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE POWER LEVERS WERE RETARDED TO IDLE, HE FELT A SLIGHT LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE CONTROLS WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY AN ACCELERATED LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE HELICOPTER. HE STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER THEN WENT INTO A VIOLENT LATERAL & FORWARD VIBRATION. HE SHUT OFF THE ENG & APPLIED THE ROTOR BRAKE. HOWEVER, BEFORE THE VIBRATION STOPPED, THE TAILROTOR ASSEMBLY HIT THE GROUND & THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. NO PRE-ACCIDENT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE VIBRATION OR GROUND RESONANCE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,700 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 583 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 11, 1984; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,200 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SVC Silver City NM
- Destination: SDL Scottsdale AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 4,960 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Observation at 4:20 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.