Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pasadena Pd Heliport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Altadena, California 91001
Saturday, November 17, 2012 15:58 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On November 17, 2012, at 1558 Pacific standard time, a Pasadena Police Department (PD) helicopter struck another stationary Pasadena PD helicopter while maneuvering to park at the Pasadena Police Benedict Heliport, Altadena, California. N911FA, a Bell OH-58, was attempting to park on Pad 2 at the Pasadena PD heliport, and N96BM, a Bell OH-58A, was standing adjacent to Pad 1 with its main rotor blades turning when the collision occurred. Pasadena PD operated both helicopters under the provision of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as public-use flights. Both helicopters sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and two passengers of N911FA received minor injuries. The commercial pilot and tactical flight officer (TFO) of N96BM (parked helicopter) received minor injuries. Also, one person on the ground received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plans had been filed.
According to the Pasadena PD, N911FA departed the heliport toward the Rose Bowl to provide traffic support for a football game. About 3 minutes later, N96BM was moved out of the hangar and parked immediately adjacent to the west side of Pad 1 placing it in between Pad 1 and Pad 2. The parked helicopter’s engine was started and the main rotor blades were turning. A short time later, the Lieutenant on duty walked out of the office and toward the parked helicopter. The left side door of the parked helicopter was open, and the Lieutenant was standing on the landing gear skids when the accident occurred. About 3 minutes later, N911FA was observed approaching from the west on a right pattern for landing to the south on the main landing pad. Once over the main landing pad the helicopter was observed turning left, and then hover-taxied toward Pad 2. Once the helicopter reached Pad 2 it turned to the right, and as it settled to the ground, the main rotor blades contacted the main rotor blades of the standing helicopter.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/17/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1558 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Altadena |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 91001 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341059N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1181015W |
| Event Location Airport | Pasadena PD 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1547 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EMT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 296 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| 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) | 30.06 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AWP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 30 2012 12:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N911FA | N96BM |
| NTSB Number | WPR13GA044A | WPR13GA044B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | No |
| Damage | Substantial | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | OH-58 | OH-58A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 70-15152 | 72-21364 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PASADENA POLICE DEPARTMENT | PASADENA POLICE DEPARTMENT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PASADENA | PASADENA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91101-1748 | 91101-1748 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | PASADENA POLICE DEPARTMENT | PASADENA POLICE DEPARTMENT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- | -- |
| Operator City | PASADENA | PASADENA |
| Operator State | CA | CA |
| Operator Country | USA | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 91101-1748 | 91101-1748 |
| Operator Code | -- | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | 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) | -- | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- | -- |
| Departure City | Altadena | Altadena |
| Departure State | CA | CA |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | -- | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | PST | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- | -- |
| Destination City | Altadena | Altadena |
| Destination State | CA | CA |
| Destination Country | USA | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 30 2012 12:53PM | Nov 29 2012 4:31PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |