Agusta A109 accident near St. Augustine, Florida, December 22, 2007
On December 22, 2007 at about 10:30 am local time, a Agusta A109 (helicopter), registered N109SK, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Augustine, Florida (St. Augustine Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a visual lookout while taxiing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 2007 · about 10:30 am local time
- Place
- St. Augustine, Florida · St. Augustine Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Agusta A109 · all A109s on the register
- Registration
- N109SK · registry record · serial 7130
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was ground taxing after landing for parking. Upon entering the ramp, he made a 180-degree right turn, and the tail rotor blade collided with a bush. The tail rotor fragmented, and caused structural damage to the tail boom assembly.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,800 hours in all; 1,660 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 10,500 as pilot in command; 460 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,103 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 1, 2007; 102 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,730 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Honeywell 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSGF St> Augustine FL at 10:25 am
- Destination: FD58 Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 7,996 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 am from KSGJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.