Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Avalon, California 90704
Tuesady, December 28, 1999 10:50 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter collided with terrain following a loss of engine power while maneuvering at low level on a sightseeing flight. As the helicopter passed about 250 feet above ground level (agl) over a ridgeline, the pilot began a descending and decelerating right turn to observe a herd of buffalo. About midway down the ridge, the low rotor rpm warning horn sounded. The pilot lowered collective and the horn stayed on. He noted the rotor speed was down between 300 and 320 rpm and concluded that he would have to make an immediate landing. The helicopter landed downslope at an estimated 10 to 15 mph, and the tail rotor struck the ground first. The helicopter pitched forward, continued to slide down the hill, collided with trees, and rolled onto its right side. An 80-psi check of the pneumatic system revealed two calibrated leaks and an additional leak. The attachment fitting for the P3 air accumulator on the governor pressure (Pg) line was 3/4 of a turn loose. The engine was removed and shipped to the manufacturer for testing. Several discrepancies due to damaged hardware were corrected during preparation for the test run. The engine was placed in a test stand and started normally. The engine completed a test protocol with no discrepancies noted. The P3 accumulator fitting was loosened and the engine immediately went to flight idle. The engine would not accelerate above idle power with the P3 accumulator fitting loose. Once the fitting was loosened less than finger tight, it continued to loosen to 3/4 to a full turn loose.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loose pneumatic fitting caused the engine to go to flight idle power at a low altitude, which resulted in a forced landing in hilly terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/28/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1050 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | AVALON |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 90704 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 332459N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1182755W |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1056 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 190 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LGB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 58 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 26 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 6 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 7 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12419 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 28 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1236 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 23 2002 10:24AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3593S |
| NTSB Number | LAX00FA061 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aerospatiale |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS350D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1063 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4300 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 9 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 14085 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ISLAND EXPRESS HELICOPTERS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 2249 |
| Aircraft Owner City | AVALON |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90704 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | ISHA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | AVALON |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1030 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| 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 | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 3 2002 4:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |