# Accident 20010512009199A: Gulstm GIV, San Diego, CA, May 12, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 12, 2001, 17:00 local time - Place: San Diego, CA - Airport: San Diego International-Lindbergh Fld - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.7336° N, 117.1939° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7336&lon=-117.1939&mi=10 - Aircraft: N999GP (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: GULSTM GIV - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA172](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA172) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010512009199A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON MAY 12, 2001, ABOUT 1700 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206B, N2102Z, AND A GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE G-IV, N999GP, COLLIDED IN A NON-MOVEMENT AREA OF THE SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL-LINDBERGH FIELD, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. THE HELICOPTER, N2102Z, WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 BY THE PILOT/OWNER, AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER A MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE TAILBOOM. THE COMMERCIAL HELICOPTER PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED. THE GULFSTREAM G-IV AIRPLANE, N999GP, OPERATED BY GEP INCORPORATED, LLC, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WINGLET. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, TWO FLIGHT CREW, AND SIX PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED. N2102Z WAS PARKED AND PREPARING TO DEPART ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT TO MONTGOMERY FIELD, SAN DIEGO. N999GP WAS TAXIING TO PARKING UNDER THE AID AND SUPERVISION OF LINE SERVICE PERSONNEL FROM JIM'S AIR SERVICE. N999GP HAD DEPARTED FROM MCCARRAN INTERNATIONAL, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. THE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) INTERVIEWED BOTH FLIGHT CREWS. THE PILOT OF N2102Z STATED THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PICK UP A FRIEND AT LINDBERGH FIELD AND THEN RETURN TO MONTGOMERY FIELD. HE STATED THAT HE STARTED THE ENGINE AND SAW N999GP COMING DOWN THE TAXIWAY. HE SAW THE LINE SERVICE PERSONNEL MOTION FOR N999GP TO CONTINUE THE TAXI BETWEEN HIS HELICOPTER AND ANOTHER AIRPLANE. ONE OF HIS PASSENGERS STATED THAT THE TWO AIRCRAFT WERE GOING TO HIT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE TWO AIRCRAFT WERE GOING TO HIT EACH OTHER, THEN THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE CONTACTED THE WINGLET OF N999GP. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH SAN DIEGO GROUND CONTROL BECAUSE HE WAS NOT READY TO TAKEOFF. THE CAPTAIN OF N999GP STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PICKUP THE OWNER'S SON AND RETURN TO LAS VEGAS. AFTER LANDING, GROUND CONTROL CLEARED N999GP TO TAXI TO JIM'S AIR. THERE WERE NO FURTHER RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WITH GROUND CONTROL; HOWEVER, THE PILOTS OF N999GP MONITORED THE FREQUENCY. THE MANAGER OF JIM'S AIR SERVICE INDICATED THAT THE RAMP AREA HAD BEEN BUSY ALL DAY, AND AS A RESULT, FOUR LINE SERVICE PERSONNEL (WING WALKERS) WERE USED TO ASSIST WITH THE PARKING. AT THE TIME THE GULFSTREAM WAS TAXIING INTO THE FACILITY, ONE WING WALKER WAS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS, RESPECTIVELY; ONE WING WALKER WAS AT THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE THE LAST LINE SERVICE PERSON WAS LOADING PASSENGERS INTO THE HELICOPTER. THE CAPTAIN OF THE GULFSTREAM STATED THAT HE SAW PASSENGERS BEING LOADED INTO THE HELICOPTER AS THEY APPROACH THE RAMP AND THAT THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE NOT TURNING. HE THEN SAW THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TURN ABOUT THREE TIMES. HE FURTHER REPORTED THAT BECAUSE THE COCKPIT WAS PAST THE HELICOPTER WHEN THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE WINGLET HE DID NOT SEE THE ROTOR BLADE STRIKE, BUT DID HEAR IT. THE FIRST OFFICER OF THE GULFSTREAM STATED THAT HE WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED WITH THE WING CLEARANCE DURING THE TAXI, BUT THAT THE WING WALKER ON THE RIGHT SIDE HAD INDICATED WITH A THUMBS UP SIGNAL THAT THEY WERE CLEAR OF THE HELICOPTER. HE KEPT LOOKING OUTSIDE TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE CLEAR AND NOTED THAT PASSENGERS WERE BEING LOADED INTO THE HELICOPTER, AND THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE NOT TURNING. AS THE COCKPIT OF THE GULFSTREAM PASSED BY THE HELICOPTER HE SAW THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES BEGIN TO TURN AND THEN HEARD A "THUMP." THE WING WALKER ON THE RIGHT SIDE STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED THAT A G-IV HAD LANDED AND NEEDED WING WALKERS TO HELP TAXI IT TO PARKING. AS HE WALKED OUT TO THE RAMP AREA HE NOTED THAT N2102Z WAS EMPTY OF PEOPLE. HE WAITED FOR N999GP TO EXIT THE TAXIWAY AND ENTER THE RAMP AREA, WITH HIS BACK TO N2102Z. HE INDICATED THERE WAS ABOUT 20 FEET TO SPARE, 10-FOOT CLEARANCE OF THE WINGS ON EACH SIDE, AND FELT THIS WAS ENOUGH ROOM TO SAFELY TAXI N999GP. HE FURTHER INDICATED THAT HE WAS STANDING ABOUT 2 FEET IN FRONT OF N2102Z'S MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE WING WALKER STATED THAT AS THE COCKPIT WAS PASSING HIS POSITION HE HEARD THE WHINE OF THE HELICOPTER ENGINE STARTING. HE TURNED AROUND AND SAW A PILOT AND PASSENGERS SEATED IN THE HELICOPTER AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STARTING TO TURN. HE TRIED TO OBTAIN THE ATTENTION OF THE PILOT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO BECAUSE THE PILOT'S HEAD WAS DOWN LOOKING INSIDE THE COCKPIT. HE THEN DUCKED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF FLYING OBJECTS. THE WING WALKER INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS OF N2102Z ENTER THE COCKPIT, NOR WAS THERE ANY WARNING THAT THE PILOT WAS GOING TO START THE ENGINE. THE WING WALKER THAT WAS ATTENDING TO THE HELICOPTER PASSENGERS STATED THAT AFTER THE PASSENGERS HAD BOARDED THE PILOT SHUT THE DOOR. THE WING WALKER ALSO SAW THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER LINE SERVICE PERSON STANDING AT THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER. AS HE WAS MOVING AWAY FROM THE HELICOPTER HE HEARD THE ENGINE START. HE STATED THAT HE WAS SCARED BECAUSE THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE TURNING AND HE DUCKED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE PILOT OF N2102Z CLEAR THE AREA BEFORE STARTING THE HELICOPTER. (-23) ON MAY 12, 2001 AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 PDT TWO FRIENDS AND I DEPARTED MONTGOMERY AIRPORT FLEW TO RAMONA DID SOME SIGHTSEEING THEN FLEW DIRECT FIMSAIR AT SAN DIEGO LINDBERGH AIRPORT TO PICK UP A FRIEND WHO WAS ARRIVING FROM PHOENIX. AFTER LANDING AT APPROXIMATELY 1630 PDT I BEGAN TO WAIT FOR THE STANDARD TWO MINUTE COOL DOWN BEFORE SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE. WHILE IDLING A LINEMAN ASKED IF I WOULD REPOSITION AS A COUPLE OF LARGE JETS WOULD BE INCOMING TO THE PARKING AREA. I WENT TO FULL POWER AND BEGAN TO HOVER TAXI TO AN AREA HE DIRECTED ME TO. I WAITED TWO MINUTES AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. AFTER WE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT I WENT INSIDE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED 50 GALLONS OF FUEL. MY PASSENGER ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 1650 PDT AT WHICH TIME THREE OF MY PASSENGERS AND MYSELF WERE ALL ESCORTED OUT TO THE HELICOPTER BY JIMSAIR LINE PERSONNEL. WE ALL CLOSED OUR DOORS AND I STARTED THE H ELICOPTER. AFTER ACHIEVING THE START I BEGAN TO IDLE THE STANDART 1 MINUTE PRIOR TO INCREASING THE RPM TO 100%. AS WE SAT WAITING I SAW A LARGE JET TAXIING DOWN THE TAXIWAY. THREE TO FOUR LINEMEN RAN OUT TO MY AREA AND BEGAN TO MOTION TO THE JET (A GIV) TO TURN IN TO THE RAMP WHERE I WAS ALREADY PARKED WITH MY ROTORS TURNING AND PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE JET BEGAN TO TAXI TOWARDS OUR AIRCRAFT. UPON THE MOTIONS OF THE LINEMEN THE JET CONTINUED TO TAXI AND TO MY SURPRISE BEGAN TO TURN FURTHER SO AS TO TRY AND SQUEEZE BETWEEN OUR HELICOPTER AND ANOTHER AIRCRAFT(SEE DIAGRAM 2 AND 3). AS THE NOSE OF THE JET PASSED THROUGH MY 60-DEGREE POSITION I BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE WING WAS GOING TO STRIKE OUR ROTATING ROTOR BLADES. I LOOKED OVER TO THE LINEMAN CLOSEST TO ME AND HE SEEMED UNCONCERNED AS TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE WING AND THE MOVING ROTOR BLADES. AS THE WING CAME CLOSER AND CLOSER MY PASSENGERS BEGAN TO VOICE OVER OUR HEADSETS "THAT PLANE IS GOING TO HIT US". SECONDS AFTER THE COMMENTS OUR BLADE WAS STRUCK BY THE JET. THE BLADE SEVERED A LARGE PIECE OF THE JETS WINGLET OFF. THE WINGLET FLEW APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET. I SAW SOMEONE DUCK AND RUN. OUR BLADE CONTINUED TO ROT ATE. THE ROTOR BLADE WAS NOW DANGLING AND JUST MISSED ENTERING OUR FUSELAGE. THE ROTOR BLADE CONTINUED TURNING AND STOPPED WHEN IT HIT OUR TAIL BOOM. THE JOLT WAS VERY STRONG. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. THE JET TO MY SURPRISE CONTINUED TO TAXI APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AND STOPPED. WE ALL SAT IN THE HELICOPTER FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS AND THEN PROCEEDED TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT. ## 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 LAX01LA172](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA172), May 13, 2001: Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV (N999GP), San Diego, CA, minor damage. Probable cause: the failure of the ground personnel to maintain clearance between two aircraft on the ramp, while one airplane was taxiing and the other was standing with the engine running and rotor blades turning. 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.