Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Little Valley, California 96056
Monday, July 26, 2004 14:21 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter collided with trees and terrain while the pilot maneuvered at a low altitude, under high density altitude conditions, and over rising mountainous terrain. The purpose of the aerial survey flight was to provide a California Department of Forestry passenger with an aerial mapping opportunity around active fire areas in the Lassen National Park. The pilot indicated that his specific mission on the flight was to maneuver the helicopter over a route that would provide the front seat passenger an opportunity to accurately mark global positioning satellite (GPS) waypoints around the fire area. Initially, the pilot flew at 6,500 feet mean sea level (msl), but when the passenger started marking waypoints, the pilot descended to 5,500 feet msl. The pilot further indicated that during the flight he made several turns. Just prior to the crash, he flew in a southerly, and then a northerly direction. When he next turned, to an east-southeasterly direction, he raised the collective, observed his proximity to the fire line, and directed his attention to a hill that he was approaching. The pilot indicated that he had expected to be higher than the top of the hill, but he was lower. At this time, despite his efforts to increase altitude, the helicopter impacted trees and terrain. According to ground-based witnesses, the helicopter had been maneuvering between 50 and 75 feet above ground level, in a downwind direction, over 5,100-foot mean sea level upsloping terrain, toward the crest of the mountain. The surface wind was from the north-northeast, about 10 knots. The temperature was almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The witnesses further reported that the helicopter's engine was operating until it impacted trees, about 20 feet beneath the mountain crest.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from objects and terrain while maneuvering at low altitude. Factors in the accident were the high, rising terrain, and the high density altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/26/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1421 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Little Valley |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96056 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405012N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1210602W |
| 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 | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18496 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 26 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1515 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 27 2005 6:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FSDO Reno, NV |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N549W |
| NTSB Number | LAX04LA281 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 206B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2604 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 8 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 52 |
| Airframe Hours | 9641 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Aris Helicopter, Ltd. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | NASA AMES Research Center, M/S 211-12 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Moffett Field |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94035 |
| 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 | CAXA |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | O89 |
| Departure City | Fall RiverMills |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1402 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | O89 |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 2 2005 6:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |