# Accident 19990102004149A: Bell 205A1, Van Nuys, CA, January 2, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 2, 1999, 21:15 local time - Place: Van Nuys, CA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.1892° N, 118.4901° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1892&lon=-118.4901&mi=10 - Aircraft: N58126, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N58126-2009-11-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell 205A-1 (registry code 1181414, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-205a-1) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming T-53 series (registry code 41552, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-t-53-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 205A1 - Reported engine: LYC T5313B - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total, 200 in this make and model, 80 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99TA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99TA066) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990102004149A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON JANUARY 2, 1999, AT 2115 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BELL 205A-1, LANDED HARD DURING A FORCED LANDING IN RUSTIC CANYON, ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA, AIRPORT. THE FORCED LANDING WAS PRECIPITATED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING A CLIMB FOLLOWING TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND ONE CREWMEMBER WERE NOT INJURED. THE OTHER CREWMEMBER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE PUBLIC-USE HELICOPTER WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT AS A TRAINING FLIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE VAN NUYS AIRPORT ABOUT 2000 AND A COMPANY VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PRACTICE "NIGHT-SUN" OPERATIONS. AFTER 1 HOUR OF TRAINING THE PILOT LANDED THE HELICOPTER ON A DIRT ROAD SO THE CREWMEMBERS COULD SWITCH SEATS. HE REPORTED THAT AFTER CONDUCTING A CREW BRIEFING, HE LIFTED OFF AND BEGAN A CLIMB TO THE NORTH. THE PILOT STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 SECONDS LATER, AND ABOUT 75 FEET AGL, HE INITIATED A LEFT TURN TO THE WEST. HE REPORTED THAT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEGINNING THE TURN HE HEARD A LOUD "CLUNKING" SOUND, WHICH WAS ACCOMPANIED BY VIBRATIONS. THE ENGINE THEN EMITTED A LOUD GRINDING, METALLIC GRATING SOUND. SIMULTANEOUSLY, WARNING LIGHTS, ENGINE CHIP LIGHTS, AND THE RPM DECAY LIGHT BECAME ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND ENTERED AUTOROTATION. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE TO REACH THE DIRT ROAD, SO HE STARTED A 180-DEGREE LEFT TURN DOWN THE CANYON. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FLARE AND NEAR-VERTICAL DESCENT WITH LITTLE FORWARD SPEED AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER EGRESS OF THE AIRCRAFT, HE DID NOT SMELL OR SEE SMOKE, NOR DID HE NOTE ANY FUEL LEAKAGE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE ENGINE AND ROTORS WERE STOPPED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF THE ENGINE PROBLEM. (.4)DURING A NIGHT TRAINING FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD 'CLUNKING' SOUND, WHICH WAS ACCOMPANIED BY VIBRATIONS. THE ENGINE THEN EMITTED A LOUD GRINDING, METALLIC GRATING SOUND. SIMULTANEOUSLY, WARNING LIGHTS, ENGINE CHIP LIGHTS, AND THE RPM DECAY LIGHT BECAME ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION BUT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE TO REACH A DIRT ROAD, SO HE TURNED DOWN A CANYON AND PERFORMED A HARD FLARE AND NEAR-VERTICAL DESCENT WITH LITTLE FORWARD SPEED. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND CAME TO REST ON ROUGH UNEVEN TERRAIN SURROUNDED BY TREES AND HIGH VEGETATION. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE POWER TURBINE AS VIEWED FROM THE EXHAUST EXHIBITED DAMAGE. THE NUMBER 4 TURBINE WHEEL WAS MISSING ALL OF ITS BLADES AND THE BLADES ON THE NUMBER 3 TURBINE WHEEL WERE DAMAGED. SCORING WAS EVIDENCED ON THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THE TURBINE CASE IN THE AREA OF THE NOS. 3 AND 4 TURBINE WHEELS. ALL THE VANES AND INNER AND OUTER SUPPORTS OF THE SECOND STAGE POWER TURBINE NOZZLE WERE DISPLACED AND/OR MISSING, AND FRAGMENTS OF THE OUTER VANE SUPPORT WERE TORN AND DISTORTED. THE THIRD STAGE TURBINE N OZZLE EXHIBITED EXTENSION DAMAGE ON THE TRAILING EDGES OF THE VANES AND ON THE SHROUD/OUTER HOUSING. METALLURGICAL EXMINATION OF THE TURBINE COMPONENTS DISCLOSED FEATURES INDICATIVE OF OVERLOAD FRACTURES WITHOUT EVIDENCE OF MATERIAL DEFECTS OR FATIGUE. THE METALLURGIST CONCLUDED THAT THE OVERALL TYPE AND DEGREE OF ENGINE DAMAGE WAS INDICATIVE OF A COMPONENT FAILURE IN THE SECOND STAGE POWER TURBINE NOZZLE AREA; HOWEVER, THE CAUSE OF THE COMPONENT FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX99TA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99TA066), Jan 3, 1999: Bell 205A-1 (N58126), Van Nuys, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of engine power due to an undetermined component failure in the second stage power turbine nozzle area. Factors in the accident were the mountainous/hilly nature of the terrain and the dark… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.