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20041211032269A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robsin R22 BETA · Los Angeles, CA · December 11, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 11, 2004 · 09:20 local
Place
Los Angeles, CA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N145RJ
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX05LA049
Reported as
Robsin R22BETA
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
629 total99 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days
N145RJRegistration cancelled Mar 3, 2005 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 1149 · Built 1989Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETAEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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) The pilot privacy data omitted left long beach airport with one passenger, on a sightseeing flight to downtown Los Angeles. VFR conditions prevailed. While flying over the northeast part of the city at approximately 1200 feet MSL, the low rotor RPM warning light and horn activated. The pilot lowered the collective and entered autorotation attempting to land on a helipad on top of the 56 story wells fargo building. During landing, the helicopter overshot the helipad and contacted windown washing equipment on the north corner of the building. Rotorblades struck the equipment causing the helicopter to vibrate violently. Still being several feet above the surface of the building, the pilot lowered the collective causing the helicopter to impact the surface. The resultant hard landing nearly severed the tailboom at the attach points. Damage to the rotorblades and tailboom caused the aircraft to receive substantial damage. After landing, the passenger pulled the mixture control to shut down the engine and both occupants exited the aircraft. There were no reported injuries to either the pilot or passenger.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMI^ LEFT LONG BEACH AIRPORT WITH ONE PASSENGER, ON A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT TO DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED. WHILE FLYING OVER THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE CITY AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET MSL, THE LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING LIGHT AND HORN ACTIVATED. THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND ENTERED AUTOROTATION ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON A HELIPAD ON TOP OF THE 56 STORY WELLS FARGO BUILDING. DURING LANDING, THE HELICOPTER OVERSHOT THE HELIPAD AND CONTACTED WINDOWN WASHING EQUIPMENT ON THE NORTH CORNER OF THE BUILDING. ROTORBLADES STRUCK THE EQUIPMENT CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. STILL BEING SEVERAL FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE BUILDING, THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO IMPACT THE SURFACE. THE RESULTANT HARD LANDING NEARLY SEVERED THE TAILBOOM AT THE ATTACH POINTS. DAMAGE TO THE ROTORBLADES AND TAILBOOM CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO RECEIVE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. AFTER LANDING, THE PASSENGER PULLED THE MIXTURE CONTROL TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND BOTH OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES TO EITHER THE PILOT OR PASSENGER.

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 LAX05LA049Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLos Angeles, CAThe activation of the low main rotor rpm warning system for undetermined reasons.Dec 11, 2004 · Substantial damage