What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Helicopter lost hydraulics in flight and attempted a run-on landing on the taxiway at Van Nuys Airport. Appears pilot lost control of the aircraft prior to touchdown and crashed on the ramp. The aircraft was destroyed and fire insued. (.4)on March 26, 2000, about 2213 hours pacific standard time, an aerospatiale AS350B, helicopter, N500WC, operated by helinet corporation on lease to fox television stations, inc., was substantially damaged during landing approach at Van Nuys, California. The commercial rated pilot and news cameraman passenger were both seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight operating under 14 CFR part 91 and a company flight plan was filed. The flight had departed Van Nuys Airport about 2100, en route to televise the academy awards ceremony from the helicopter at los angeles, California. At 2203, while hovering out of ground effect over the event, the helicopter experienced a total loss of hydraulic pressure. According to recovered videotape, the sound of a warning horn was heard for 5 seconds then quit. According to the cameraman the helicopter began to spin. The pilot stabilized the helicopter, and reported to other news helicopters filming the event, that she had lost hydraulic pressure and was experiencing control problems. Another pilot suggested that the pilot consider going to santa monica airport, as they were still open. She elected to return to Van Nuys Airport, about 15 miles northwest. Santa monica and los angeles airports are located about 5 miles west. The flight was escorted back to Van Nuys Airport by another news helicopter, with radio calls being made by the escorting pilot to relieve the workload of the pilot. The accident pilot did not declare an emergency. The escorting pilot requested priority handling from the Van Nuys control tower. The pilot requested the "basin arrival," landing at helinet. The onboard camera was shooting aft about 4 o'clock and revealed alignment with the west taxiway inbound. The helicopter appeared to be about 15/20 feet above ground level. Just north of the helinet ramp, the helicopter started a left climbing turn towards the hangars continuing into one or more 360 degrees turns. Subsequently, the main rotor blades contacted the asphalt ramp, and 21 feet beyond, the left side of the fuselage and nose section contacted the ramp, rupturing the fuel system. A postcrash fire occurred in fuel that had drained away from the fuselage into a low area of the ramp.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) HELICOPTER LOST HYDRAULICS IN FLIGHT AND ATTEMPTED A RUN-ON LANDING ON THE TAXIWAY AT VAN NUYS AIRPORT. APPEARS PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN AND CRASHED ON THE RAMP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND FIRE INSUED. (.4)ON MARCH 26, 2000, ABOUT 2213 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS350B, HELICOPTER, N500WC, OPERATED BY HELINET CORPORATION ON LEASE TO FOX TELEVISION STATIONS, INC., WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING LANDING APPROACH AT VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT AND NEWS CAMERAMAN PASSENGER WERE BOTH SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED VAN NUYS AIRPORT ABOUT 2100, EN ROUTE TO TELEVISE THE ACADEMY AWARDS CEREMONY FROM THE HELICOPTER AT LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. AT 2203, WHILE HOVERING OUT OF GROUND EFFECT OVER THE EVENT, THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE. ACCORDING TO RECOVERED VIDEOTAPE, THE SOUND OF A WARNING HORN WAS HEARD FOR 5 SECONDS THEN QUIT. ACCORDING TO THE CAMERAMAN THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SPIN. THE PILOT STABILIZED THE HELICOPTER, AND REPORTED TO OTHER NEWS HELICOPTERS FILMING THE EVENT, THAT SHE HAD LOST HYDRAULIC PRESSURE AND WAS EXPERIENCING CONTROL PROBLEMS. ANOTHER PILOT SUGGESTED THAT THE PILOT CONSIDER GOING TO SANTA MONICA AIRPORT, AS THEY WERE STILL OPEN. SHE ELECTED TO RETURN TO VAN NUYS AIRPORT, ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHWEST. SANTA MONICA AND LOS ANGELES AIRPORTS ARE LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES WEST. THE FLIGHT WAS ESCORTED BACK TO VAN NUYS AIRPORT BY ANOTHER NEWS HELICOPTER, WITH RADIO CALLS BEING MADE BY THE ESCORTING PILOT TO RELIEVE THE WORKLOAD OF THE PILOT. THE ACCIDENT PILOT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. THE ESCORTING PILOT REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING FROM THE VAN NUYS CONTROL TOWER. THE PILOT REQUESTED THE "BASIN ARRIVAL," LANDING AT HELINET. THE ONBOARD CAMERA WAS SHOOTING AFT ABOUT 4 O'CLOCK AND REVEALED ALIGNMENT WITH THE WEST TAXIWAY INBOUND. THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 15/20 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. JUST NORTH OF THE HELINET RAMP, THE HELICOPTER STARTED A LEFT CLIMBING TURN TOWARDS THE HANGARS CONTINUING INTO ONE OR MORE 360 DEGREES TURNS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE ASPHALT RAMP, AND 21 FEET BEYOND, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AND NOSE SECTION CONTACTED THE RAMP, RUPTURING THE FUEL SYSTEM. A POSTCRASH FIRE OCCURRED IN FUEL THAT HAD DRAINED AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE INTO A LOW AREA OF THE RAMP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.