Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ucla Medical Center Heliport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Los Angeles, California 90095
Saturday, July 21, 2001 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot got out of the helicopter with the engines running and the rotors turning to check on the security of a cabin door, and the unmanned helicopter began moving on the helipad and rolled over. The pilot had completed a nightime, helicopter, air taxi flight, and was preparing to depart the elevated helipad to reposition the helicopter to the operator's base. After deplaning his passengers the pilot returned to the cockpit and was preparing to depart when he noticed a door unsecured indication on the instrument panel for the left cabin door. The passengers had deplaned through the right-hand door and the left door annunciation had not been on during the inbound flight. He thought one of the passengers might have released the left door latch inadvertently while preparing to deplane. He idled the engines and exited the cockpit to check the door. He reclosed the door and returned to the cockpit; however, the door open annunciation came on again. He recalled leaving the cockpit "2 or 3 times" to deal with the door and said he was "frustrated with it." He did not recall retarding the engine power control levers to ground idle before leaving the cockpit the final time. While out of the cockpit, the wheel-equipped helicopter started to move as the pilot was returning to the cockpit. He recalled it was moving toward the edge of the helipad. He returned to the cockpit; however, before he could regain control there was a confusing sequence of events and the next thing he knew the helicopter was on its side. The pilot reported there were no mechanical discrepancies with the helicopter up to the time of the event. He remarked that it was very light [weight] with no one else on board. On the deck of the helipad there was a tire skid pattern consistent with a dynamic rollover event. The engine power control levers were found in the "fly" position.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the pilot to reduce the engine power control levers to ground idle prior to leaving the helicopter, resulting in the unmanned helicopter moving on the helipad and performing a dynamic rollover.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/21/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 49 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Los Angeles |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 90095 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | UCLA Medical Center Heliport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| 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 | 51 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 178 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SMO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 175 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.96 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12346 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 21 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 118 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 24 2002 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Los Angeles, California |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N769BB |
| NTSB Number | LAX01FA252 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Sikorsky |
| Aircraft Model | S-76A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 760294 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10500 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 5 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 44 |
| Airframe Hours | 1095 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Yucaipa Companies LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 9130 W. Sunset Blvd. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Los Angeles |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 90069 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Helinet Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 16425 Hart St. |
| Operator City | Van Nuys |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 91406 |
| Operator Code | HOCA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Los Angeles |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 49 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VNY |
| Destination City | Van Nuys |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Standing - engine(s) operating |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 2 2009 1:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | -- |