Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Big Bear City Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Big Bear City, California 92314
Saturday, July 24, 2010 10:25 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter pilot was approaching the airport for landing about 350 feet above ground level when a fixed-wing airplane taxied in front of his intended landing spot and stopped. He slowed the helicopter to avoid blowing the airplane and the helicopter subsequently lost tail rotor effectiveness. The helicopter then rapidly descended to the ground and came to rest in a drainage depression. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom during the accident sequence and the pilot was not injured. The airport elevation was 6,572 feet mean sea level (msl) and the calculated density altitude at the time of the accident was about 9,300 feet msl. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter and further stated that he could have prevented the accident by avoiding slow speeds at high density altitudes.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing approach.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/24/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1025 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Big Bear City |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92314 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341529n |
| Event Location Longitude | 1165113w |
| Event Location Airport | Big Bear City |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | L35 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 6752 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1030 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | L35 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6752 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.26 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27336 |
| NTSB Notification Source | WPR FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 17 2010 12:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N788BD |
| NTSB Number | WPR10CA364 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206 B II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1726 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 24 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 15 |
| Airframe Hours | 23449 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MIARS ROBERT L |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Wasilla |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99654 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | MIARS ROBERT L |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | San Dimas |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 91773 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | POC |
| Departure City | La Verne |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 915 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | L35 |
| Destination City | Big Bear City |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 17 2010 12:11PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 08 |
| Runway Length | 5850 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |