19960820023389A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell 209 · Palmdale, CA · August 20, 1996

Date
August 20, 1996 · 16:24 local
Place
Palmdale, CA
Phase of flight
Hovering
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N777TZ
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX96FA310
Reported as
Bell 209
Reported engine
Lycoming T53*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
11,000 total70 in this make and model70 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

During filming ground vehicle main rotors struck rock cropping. Settled nose high. Struck a truck landing.

As the FAA filed it

DURING FILMING GROUND VEHICLE MAIN ROTORS STRUCK ROCK CROPPING. SETTLED NOSE HIGH. STRUCK A TRUCK LANDING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.