Brackett Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

La Verne, California 91750
Wednesday, April 4, 1990 13:58 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VIBRATE DURING TERMINATION OF A POWER RECOVERY AUTOROTATION. HE STATED THAT WHEN THE COMMERCIALLY RATED STUDENT PILOT APPLIED POWER, THE ENGINE DEVELOPED POWER, BUT THE ROTOR RPM DECAYED. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE RUNWAY. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT WAS LATE IN TAKING THE CONTROLS AND RECOVERING THE AIRCRAFT. AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE HELICOPTER AND FOUND NO PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE HELICOPTER'S ROTOR SYSTEM BEING ALLOWED TO UNDERSPEED AS A RESULT OF IMPROPER USE OF FLIGHT CONTROLS BY THE DUAL STUDENT; IMPROPER SUPERVISION BY THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR; AND DELAYED REMEDIAL ACTION BY THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHICH ALLOWED THE IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH THE RUNWAY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/4/1990
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1358
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City LA VERNE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 91750
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BRACKETT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID POC
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 1011
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1346 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 100
Weather Observation Facility ID ONT
Elevation of weather observation facility 943
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 30
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1962
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 4 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1415
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 44520
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N739B
NTSB Number LAX90LA137
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BELL
Aircraft Model 47G
Aircraft Series Identifier 47G
Aircraft Serial Number 85
Certified Max Gross Weight 2850
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 0
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AIRBORNE HELICOPTERS
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1805 MCKINLEY AVE
Operator City LA VERNE
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 91750
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1356
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 Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 26R
Runway Length 3661
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --