# Accident 20000829011869A: Bell 206L1, Los Angels, CA, August 29, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 29, 2000, 15:35 local time
- Place: Los Angels, CA
- Airport: Lasd Helpad
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.0522° N, 118.2437° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Los Angeles, CA, within about 12 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0522&lon=-118.2437&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5758H (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L1
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C30P
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 29,500 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00TA318](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00TA318) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000829011869A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON 8/29/00 @ 1530 PDT BELL HELICOPTER, N5758H CRAHSED ON TOP TO THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT. PARKING STRUCTURE IN CENTRAL LOS ANGELES. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER AFTER RISING INTO A HOVER MADE TWO RIGHT HAND 360 DEGREE TURNS IN ABOUT 3 SECONDS, THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND WHERE THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ON ITS LEFT SIDE CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM TO CONTACT THE GROUND WITHOUT HITTING THE TAIL BOOM.  ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM ALSO MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND.  INVESTIGATION ON SITE FOUND NO OBVIOUS FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS AT THAT TIME.  HELICOPTER TRANSPORTED TO THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S FACILITY ON THE LONG BEACH AIRPORT AWAITING NTSB INVESTIGATION.                          (.4)DURING TAKEOFF FROM A HELIPORT ATOP A 10-STORY PARKING STRUCTURE, THE PILOT HEARD A 'LOUD POP OR SNAPPING SOUND' AS THE HELICOPTER TRANSITIONED TO FORWARD FLIGHT AND THEN SENSED A MAIN ROTOR IMBALANCE AND VIBRATION. THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE HELIPORT AND LANDED ON THE SKIDS, HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER SUBSEQUENTLY ROLLED OVER AND CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER SHOWED THE SKID CROSS TUBES WERE DISPLACED AP PROXIMATELY 2 INCHES TO THE RIGHT IN THEIR FUSELAGE ATTACHMENT BUSHINGS AND THE MAIN ROTOR TRANSMISSION WAS INCLINED APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND 10 DEGREES FORWARD. EXAMINATION AND TESTING OF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP, THREE FLIGHT CONTROL SERVOS AND TWO HYDRAULIC FILTERS REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. THE TIP OF ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE AND PART OF ONE PITCH CHANGE LINK WERE NOT LOCATED AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE MATING END OF THE PITCH CHANGE LINK EXHIBITED BENDING ALONG ITS LENGTH AND CRIPPLING AT THE SEPARATION POINT CONSISTENT WITH OVERLOAD FAILURE.

## 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 LAX00TA318](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00TA318), Aug 29, 2000: Bell 206L-1 (N5758H), Los Angeles, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The probable loss of the main rotor tip weight on the red blade for undetermined reasons resulting in main rotor vibration and oscillation. Sideward movement during the ensuing emergency landing…

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.

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