20031224035189A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Agusta A109 · Mendocino, CA · December 24, 2003

Date: December 24, 2003 · 19:30 local
Place: Mendocino, CA
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: JBZA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N25RX
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX04FA076
Reported as: Agusta A109
Reported engine: Allison 250C28
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 3
Pilot’s flight hours: 12,000 total4,600 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N25RXRegistration cancelled Mar 23, 2004 · Agusta AGUSTA A109S/N 7220 · Built 1980 Airframe modelAgusta AGUSTA A109 Engine modelAllison 250-C28 seriesTurbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) 12-22-03, Reach/mediplane inc. (jbza) departed santa rosa to willits CA, at approx. 1930 PDT, to pick up a medical patient. Between ukiah and willits CA, the crew reported the weather was deteriorating and they made a decision to fly to ukiah muni CA. The helicopter crashed into a hillside in the redwood valley area, north of the ukiah muni air field. The three occupants were fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) 12-22-03, REACH/MEDIPLANE INC. (JBZA) DEPARTED SANTA ROSA TO WILLITS CA, AT APPROX. 1930 PDT, TO PICK UP A MEDICAL PATIENT. BETWEEN UKIAH AND WILLITS CA, THE CREW REPORTED THE WEATHER WAS DETERIORATING AND THEY MADE A DECISION TO FLY TO UKIAH MUNI CA. THE HELICOPTER CRASHED INTO A HILLSIDE IN THE REDWOOD VALLEY AREA, NORTH OF THE UKIAH MUNI AIR FIELD. THE THREE OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX04FA076Accident · 3 fatalField investigationFinal reportRedwood Valley, CAThe pilot's improper in-flight planning and decision to continue flight under visual flight rules into deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in an inadvertent in-flight encounter with instrument meteorological conditions and a collision with rising…Dec 24, 2003 · Destroyed