Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Running Springs, California 92382
Wednesday, September 21, 2005 10:15 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter was performing external load operations in the vicinity of tall trees when the main rotor impacted a tree and the helicopter descended nose first into the ground. At the time of rotor impact with the trees, the Vehicle Engine Monitoring Display (VEMD) recorded a high torque measurement (146 percent) and a low engine drive speed measurement (184 rpm), followed by a low torque (5.7 percent) and a high engine speed (511 rpm) and temperature (999C). As a result of the main rotor impact with trees the engine's torque twisted apart the engine to transmission drive shaft causing an engine over speed and over temperature condition. The operator was utilizing a 78.8-foot-long line for the external load operations, which in some cases put the main rotor of the helicopter below the treetops of the 80- to 90-foot trees. Examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of a preimpact malfunction or failure of the control system or power plant.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from trees while performing long line external lift operations.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/21/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1015 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Running Springs |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92382 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341311N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1170309W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1130 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KL35 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6748 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.28 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 20802 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 21 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 28 2006 9:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FSDO-Riverside, CA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N814CE |
| NTSB Number | LAX05LA308 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Eurocopter |
| Aircraft Model | AS350B3 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3847 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6173 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 320.3 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ICX Corporation |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2 Summit Park Dr #300 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Cleveland |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 44131 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Southern California Edison |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2161 E Avion St |
| Operator City | Ontario |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 91761 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| 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) | External Load |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Running Springs |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1015 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Running Springs |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 20 2006 2:56PM |
| 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 | -- |