Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Corona Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Corona, California 92880
Sunday, November 25, 2012 23:08 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot had positioned the helicopter facing toward a fuel island and had added about 40 gallons of fuel. A review of a security video showed that the helicopter cabin was partially under a circular metal canopy that covered the island. After fueling and while still under the canopy, the helicopter lifted off, and the pilot immediately made a right turn. After turning nearly 180 degrees, the helicopter pitched forward, and the tail and main rotor blades rose and contacted the metal canopy. The helicopter then began to flail while turning and subsequently came to rest after turning 180 degrees back to its original direction. Several seconds later, a fire and explosion occurred. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
An review of the autopsy report revealed that the pilot’s death was caused by thermal-related injuries and that he most likely would have survived the accident if no fire had occurred. The helicopter manufacturer issued several service bulletins advising owners to retrofit R44 all-aluminum fuel tanks with bladder-type tanks to improve the R44 fuel system’s resistance to a postaccident fuel leak and the potential for a subsequent fire. The helicopter had not been retrofitted with these modifications. The NTSB has issued Safety Recommendation A-14-1 to the Federal Aviation Administration to require the retrofit.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance between the helicopter’s main rotor blades and the metal canopy of a fuel island.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/25/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2308 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Corona |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92880 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335352N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1173609W |
| Event Location Airport | Corona |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AJO |
| 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 | 533 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2256 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KAJO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 533 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| 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) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.98 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32270 |
| 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 | Jan 9 2014 6:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4204A |
| NTSB Number | WPR13FA054 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY |
| Aircraft Model | R44 II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 12634 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 2 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 133 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LAW OFFICES OF JAMES C BECHLER PC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3155 E PATRICK LN STE 1 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAS VEGAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89120-3481 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | LAW OFFICES OF JAMES C BECHLER PC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3155 E PATRICK LN STE 1 |
| Operator City | LAS VEGAS |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 89120-3481 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | AJO |
| Departure City | Corona |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2308 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FUL |
| Destination City | Fullerton |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 9 2014 6:55PM |
| 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 | -- |