# Accident 20000314006579A: Arofal OH58C, Compton, CA, March 14, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 14, 2000, 19:11 local time - Place: Compton, CA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.8701° N, 118.2407° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8701&lon=-118.2407&mi=10 - Aircraft: N911JN, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N911JN-2000-08-15) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell OH-58C (registry code 1181580, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-oh-58c) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AROFAL OH58C - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,700 total, 1,200 in this make and model, 210 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00GA114](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00GA114) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000314006579A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) WHILE ON AERIAL PATROL OVER COMTON, CA., THE PILOT OF A PUBLIC USE BELL OH-58C HELI, OPERATED BY THE COMPTON POLICE DEPT., NOTICED THE LOW ROTOR RPM LIGHT IN THE COCKPIT FLASH ON, THEN OFF. PERCEIVING A PROBLEM WITH THE A/C THE PILOT DECEIDED TO RETURN TO BASE AT COMPTON AIRPORT. WHILE ENROUTE THE PILOT EXPERIENCED MORE FLASHING OF THE LOW ROTOR RPM LIGHT, AND THE ILLUMINATION OF OTHER COCKPIT AND PANEL LIGHTS. CONCURRENT WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING AND CAUTION LIGHTS, THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM TURNED OFF. THEPILOT CHECKED ENGINE GAUGES AND INSTRUMENTS AND NOTED THAT THE ROTOR TACHOMETER WAS REGISTERING HIGH OFF THE RPM SCALE. HE PERCEIVED A CHANGE IN BACKGROUND ENGINE AND ROTOR SOUNDS. THE OBSERVER REPORTED A LOSS OF RADIOS AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS AT THIS TIME. AS THE PILOT APPROACHED AN EXTENDED FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 25 AT COMPTON AIRPORT THE PILOT EXPERIENCED CONTROL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE A/C. DURING THE APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT AN AIRPLANE ON A BASE LEG TURN TO RUNWAY 25, THE PILOT HAD TO MANUEVER TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH THE AIRPLANE. BECAUSE OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE HELI CONTROLLABILITY, THE PILOT CHOSE TO INITIATE AN AUTOROTATION TO A CLEAR AREA IN AN UNOCCUPIED SCHOOLYARD. AS THE HELI AUTOROTATED, THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MISS A BUILDING BUT COULD NOT AVOID A PARKED TRACTOR-TRAILOR RIG ON THE PREMISES. THE HELI COLLIDED WITH THE TRAILOR, THEN THE GROUND, AND ROLLED OVER ON ITS BACK. THE PILOT AND OBSERVER, THE SOLE OCCUPANTS, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. (.4) ON MARCH 14, 2000, AT 1911 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BELL OH-58C, N911JN, COLLIDED WITH A TRAILER AND THE GROUND DURING AN AUTOROTATION AT COMPTON, CALIFORNIA. THE AUTOROTATION WAS PRECIPITATED BY PILOT PERCEIVED MALFUNCTIONS IN THE ELECTRICAL AND HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS DURING CRUISE. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE COMPTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AS A PUBLIC-USE AIRCRAFT AND WAS ENGAGED IN A ROUTINE LAW ENFORCEMENT PATROL MISSION. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED IN THE GROUND COLLISION SEQUENCE. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND AN OBSERVER, THE SOLE OCCUPANTS, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE LOCAL AREA PATROL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE COMPTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AT 1730. ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENTS OF THE PILOT AND OBSERVER, THEIR SHIFT BEGAN AT 1600 AND THEY CONDUCTED A FULL PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE HEL ICOPTER PRIOR TO THE 1730 TAKEOFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO MAINTENANCE ITEMS CARRIED FORWARD FOR THIS FLIGHT. A 1-HOUR ROUTINE PATROL MISSION WAS FLOWN AND THEY LANDED AT A REMOTE REFUELING PAD AND CONDUCTED A HOT REFUELING TO MAXIMUM TANK CAPACITY, THEN TOOK OFF AGAIN ABOUT 1840 TO CONTINUE THEIR PATROL. THEY RESPONDED TO A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CALL ABOUT 1900 AND ORBITED THE LOCATION IN LEFT TURNS. FOLLOWING RELEASE FROM THE CALL, THE PILOT EXITED THE ORBIT. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE PILOT AND OBSERVER NOTICED THAT THE LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING LIGHT FLASHED ON, THEN BACK OFF, THEN ON AGAIN. THE PILOT USED THE PUSH TO TEST SWITCH AND THE LIGHT RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION. THE PILOT CHECKED THE TACHOMETER AND NOTED NORMAL ROTOR AND ENGINE RPM. THE HELICOPTER WAS ONLY 3 MILES FROM THEIR BASE AT THE COMPTON AIRPORT AND THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO BASE AND HAVE MAINTENANCE EXAMINE THE HELICOPTER. THE LOW ROTOR WARNING LIGHT THEN BEGAN TO FLASH ON AND OFF, WITH AN INCREASING FREQUENCY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE LOW ROTOR LIGHT CAME ON STEADY. SUDDENLY ALL THE COCKPIT WARNING AND CAUTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, BOTH ON THE EYEBROW PANEL AND CENTER PEDESTAL PANEL. CONCURRENT WITH ILLUM INATION OF THE WARNING AND CAUTION LIGHTS, THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM TURNED OFF AND THE PILOT HAD TO RESORT TO MANUAL FORCE ON THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE PILOT CHECKED THE ENGINE AND ROTOR GAGES AND NOTED THAT THE ROTOR NEEDLE ON THE TACHOMETER WAS REGISTERING OFF SCALE HIGH; HOWEVER, NEITHER HE NOR THE OBSERVER PERCEIVED ANY CHANGE IN THE BACKGROUND ENGINE AND ROTOR SOUNDS. THE OBSERVER REPORTED THAT HE BELIEVED THEY LOST THEIR RADIOS AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS AT THIS TIME. IN HIS INTERVIEW, THE OBSERVER REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE AND ROTOR TACHOMETER NEEDLES WERE MARRIED TOGETHER AT 100 PERCENT UNTIL THE AUTOROTATION. DURING THIS PERIOD, THE PILOT HAD BEEN ON AN EXTENDED FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 25 LEFT AND CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER WAS BECOMING DIFFICULT. SUDDENLY, A FIXED WING AIRPLANE APPEARED ON BASE LEG TO THE SAME RUNWAY AND THE PILOT HAD TO MANEUVER TO AVOID A COLLISION. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WITH THE CONTROL DIFFICULTIES AND UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE HELICOPTER, HE DECIDED TO AUTOROTATE TO A CLEAR AREA IN A SCHOOLYARD. BOTH THE PILOT AND THE OBSERVER STATED THAT DURING THE AUTOROTATION THE NIGHT SUN SPOTLIGHT WENT OUT. THE PILOT CLEARED A BUILDING BUT COULD NOT AVOI D A TRACTOR-TRAILER RIG THAT HE HAD NOT OBSERVED BEFORE. THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE TRAILER, THEN THE GROUND, AND ROLLED OVER ON ITS BACK. IN HIS INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM AND KNEW THAT THE SOLENOID VALVE WAS ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AND IT TAKES ELECTRICAL POWER TO CLOSE THE VALVE AND TURN OFF THE HYDRAULICS; HE STATED THAT HE WAS AWARE THAT THE VALVE FAILS TO THE OPEN POSITION WHEN ELECTRICAL POWER IS LOST. ## 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 LAX00GA114](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00GA114), Mar 15, 2000: Bell OH-58C (N911JN), Compton, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: An undetermined electrical system voltage surge. 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.