Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Valencia, California 91355
Friday, November 11, 1994 15:40 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE STUDENT FLEW TO THE ASSIGNED PRACTICE AREA, PERFORMED UNDETERMINED MANEUVERS, AND CRASHED INTO A DIRT EMBANKMENT ADJACENT TO AN OPEN FIELD. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED A MAIN ROTOR BLADE (MRB) HAD SEVERED THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY PRIOR TO THE HELICOPTER COMING TO FINAL REST. THE MRB, THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE ASSEMBLY, THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND THE TAIL STINGER WERE FOUND IN THE FIELD UP TO 147 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE MRB WAS OBSERVED CONED UPWARD AT A 30-DEGREE ANGLE OVER THE OUTBOARD 5-FOOT-LONG PORTION OF ITS SPAN. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND IN THE HEAVILY FIRE DAMAGED WRECKAGE OF PREIMPACT MECHANICAL OR STRUCTURAL FAILURE. STRUCTURAL DEFORMATION TO THE FRAME WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE HELICOPTER HAVING IMPACTED THE EMBANKMENT WHILE DESCENDING WITH FORWARD AIRSPEED. NO GROUND SCAR WAS OBSERVED IN THE SOFT DIRT SURROUNDING THE MAIN WRECKAGE. REVIEW OF THE STUDENT'S RECONSTRUCTED FLIGHT TRAINING RECORDS INDICATED THAT POSSIBLE TRAINING DEFICIENCIES EXISTED IN AREAS INCLUDING RESPONDING TO EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTIONS AND CROSSWIND TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a dirt embankment while performing an undetermined maneuver.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/11/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1540 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | VALENCIA |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 91355 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1546 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 128 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | VNY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 799 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 350 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2019 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 11 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1604 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N60TA |
| NTSB Number | LAX95FA033 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SCHWEIZER |
| Aircraft Model | 269C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 269C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | S1510 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2050 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 8 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 31 |
| Airframe Hours | 1344 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BRIAN K. ROBERTS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5878 GRACIOSA DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | LOS ANGELES |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90068 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PACIFIC SHORE AVIATION |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 16700 ROSCOE BLVD. |
| Operator City | VAN NUYS |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91406 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | VNY |
| Departure City | VAN NUYS |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1508 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |