19970216001659A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hughes 369D · Santee, CA · February 16, 1997

Date: February 16, 1997 · 19:44 local
Place: Santee, CA
Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5200Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX97GA105
Reported as: Hughes 369D
Reported engine: Allison 250C20B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,095 total950 in this make and model188 in the last 90 days

N5200YRegistration cancelled May 23, 2017 · Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369DS/N 1198D · Built 1982 Airframe modelHughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

(.4)The sheriff's pilot and qualified observer attempted a takeoff from a hover at a remote canyon in night visual meteorological conditions. The crew was using the helicopter's search light within the previous 15 minutes and the pilot's eyes were not dark adapted. The searchlight was turned off by the observer during the takeoff and the pilot became disoriented. The helicopter descended vertically, struck the ground, and bounced over 100 feet rearward. The public-use agency's training program did not provide for night recurrent emergency procedure training, recurrent night physiology training, or crew resource management training for night flight.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE SHERIFF'S PILOT AND QUALIFIED OBSERVER ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF FROM A HOVER AT A REMOTE CANYON IN NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE CREW WAS USING THE HELICOPTER'S SEARCH LIGHT WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 15 MINUTES AND THE PILOT'S EYES WERE NOT DARK ADAPTED. THE SEARCHLIGHT WAS TURNED OFF BY THE OBSERVER DURING THE TAKEOFF AND THE PILOT BECAME DISORIENTED. THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED VERTICALLY, STRUCK THE GROUND, AND BOUNCED OVER 100 FEET REARWARD. THE PUBLIC-USE AGENCY'S TRAINING PROGRAM DID NOT PROVIDE FOR NIGHT RECURRENT EMERGENCY PROCEDURE TRAINING, RECURRENT NIGHT PHYSIOLOGY TRAINING, OR CREW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT TRAINING FOR NIGHT FLIGHT.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB LAX97GA105Accident · 1 fatalFinal reportSantee, CASpatial disorientation and temporary visual impairment that led to a loss of aircraft control as result of difficulty to light adaptivity. Contributing was the crew coordination and inadequate night flight recurrency training.Feb 17, 1997 · Substantial damage