Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Reid-Hillview Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sunol, California 94586
Friday, July 4, 2008 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were on the return portion of a night cross-country flight to the airport where the helicopter was based. After refueling, the helicopter departed and flew a path over an interstate highway. Radar data showed the flight continued along the interstate for 3 miles varying between altitudes of 300 to 700 feet mean sea level toward the accident site. The last recorded altitudes of the helicopter were about 250 feet above the interstate. The tops of the surrounding hills were about 150 feet above the interstate, with transmission towers that extended an additional 120 feet above the hills. Witnesses observed the helicopter maneuvering low along the interstate under a heavy fog layer that was about 200 feet above ground level until it collided with the power lines. The CFI had most likely flown a similar flight path in night conditions about 3 months prior to the accident. The accident site was located in a small canyon where the power lines crossed the interstate at a near 45-degree angle, with colored balls on the highest wires. These were the only wires that cross over the interstate in the stretch of the canyon. The two transmission towers on either side of the interstate were not lit or marked. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The relevant Terminal Area Chart pictorially depicted a tower and the power lines, showing them crossing the interstate in the area of the accident site.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilots' failure to maintain adequate clearance from transmission wires during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident were the dark night and low fog.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/4/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 30 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Sunol |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 94586 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 373342N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1215418W |
| Event Location Airport | Reid-Hillview Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RHV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 17 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 135 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 53 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LVK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 400 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| 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) | 15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| 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) | 29.96 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25103 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 4 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 24 2009 6:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | AWP-OAK-FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2011A |
| NTSB Number | LAX08LA213 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | SCHWEIZER |
| Aircraft Model | 269 C-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0016 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2050 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 20 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 644 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Quadrus Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Atherton |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94027 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Silicon Valley Helicopters |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2500 Robert Fowler Way |
| Operator City | San Jose |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 95148 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | C83 |
| Departure City | Byron |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RHV |
| Destination City | San Jose |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 24 2009 6:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |