What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On December 30, 2004 at approximately 1143 pacific standard time, a Eurocopter AS350BA, N410JC collided with a mountainside while maneuvering during a low altitude aerial photography flight. The accident occurred approximately 1.8 nautical miles west of Panamint springs, California. The subject helicopter was owned and operated by jetcopters inc. and was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated from Panamint springs, California at approximately 1100 pacific standard time. The initial point of impact was identified by the presence of dislodged mountainside rocks and main rotor blade fragments strewn along the mountainside and adjacent to the mountainside on the eastbound lane of California state highway 190. Main rotor blade fragments were noted on the mountainside, which represented the largest concentrated debris field of main rotor blade fragments this location, was approximately 30' (vertical elevation) above the ground and represents the initial point of impact. Furthermore directly below the main rotor blade initial point of impact was main rotor blade end blank with tracking finger. Gouges in the highway's westbound lane were observed ABOUT120 feet east-northeast of the mountainside initial point of impact. The main helicopter wreckage was found partially inverted about 126 feet farther east-northeast from the gouge marks on the westbound highway lane. The wreckage was resting on the guardrail on the westbound lane of the highway. Investigation revealed main rotor blade tip damage that was most prevalent from the tip to approximately 18 inches inboard. All engine controls appeared to be in the running conditions as well as the engine did not exhibit any abnormalities that would represent a pre impact engine failure. privacy data omitted Who was the passenger in the front left seat was contacted on January 1, 2005 where a telephone interview was conducted. privacy data omitted Stated her part of the photo shoot was as director where she monitored progress of photo shoot and directed pilot where to locate helicopter during the operation. After making an uneventful first pass she directed the pilot to make another pass and wait for the car to pass under the helicopter. While the helicopter positioned for the car to pass under privacy data omitted stated she saw the mountain and heard a noise a few seconds later the helicopter was falling. privacy data omitted Was also contacted for a phone interview. privacy data omitted Was the producer of the photo shoot. privacy data omitted Stated after the accident he could see where the main rotor blades made a clean sweep on the mountain. Furthermore there were rocks in the road at the accident site. A digi-beta pal video camera was located at the accident site and was in the helicopter at the time of the accident. The camera's power switch was found in the on position and the tape drive mechanism was in the record mode. The camera and tape have been sent to the national transportation safety board's vehicle recorder division, Washington, d.c., for examination of the audio/video media. At this time the result of the content are unknown.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON DECEMBER 30, 2004 AT APPROXIMATELY 1143 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A EUROCOPTER AS350BA, N410JC COLLIDED WITH A MOUNTAINSIDE WHILE MANEUVERING DURING A LOW ALTITUDE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FLIGHT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 1.8 NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF PANAMINT SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA. THE SUBJECT HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY JETCOPTERS INC. AND WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PANAMINT SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME. THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT WAS IDENTIFIED BY THE PRESENCE OF DISLODGED MOUNTAINSIDE ROCKS AND MAIN ROTOR BLADE FRAGMENTS STREWN ALONG THE MOUNTAINSIDE AND ADJACENT TO THE MOUNTAINSIDE ON THE EASTBOUND LANE OF CALIFORNIA STATE HIGHWAY 190. MAIN ROTOR BLADE FRAGMENTS WERE NOTED ON THE MOUNTAINSIDE, WHICH REPRESENTED THE LARGEST CONCENTRATED DEBRIS FIELD OF MAIN ROTOR BLADE FRAGMENTS THIS LOCATION, WAS APPROXIMATELY 30' (VERTICAL ELEVATION) ABOVE THE GROUND AND REPRESENTS THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT. FURTHERMORE DIRECTLY BELOW THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT WAS MAIN ROTOR BLADE END BLANK WITH TRACKING FINGER. GOUGES IN THE HIGHWAY'S WESTBOUND LANE WERE OBSERVED ABOUT120 FEET EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE MOUNTAINSIDE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT. THE MAIN HELICOPTER WRECKAGE WAS FOUND PARTIALLY INVERTED ABOUT 126 FEET FARTHER EAST-NORTHEAST FROM THE GOUGE MARKS ON THE WESTBOUND HIGHWAY LANE. THE WRECKAGE WAS RESTING ON THE GUARDRAIL ON THE WESTBOUND LANE OF THE HIGHWAY. INVESTIGATION REVEALED MAIN ROTOR BLADE TIP DAMAGE THAT WAS MOST PREVALENT FROM THE TIP TO APPROXIMATELY 18 INCHES INBOARD. ALL ENGINE CONTROLS APPEARED TO BE IN THE RUNNING CONDITIONS AS WELL AS THE ENGINE DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY ABNORMALITIES THAT WOULD REPRESENT A PRE IMPACT ENGINE FAILURE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED WHO WAS THE PASSENGER IN THE FRONT LEFT SEAT WAS CONTACTED ON JANUARY 1, 2005 WHERE A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED. ^PRIVACY DAT^ STATED HER PART OF THE PHOTO SHOOT WAS AS DIRECTOR WHERE SHE MONITORED PROGRESS OF PHOTO SHOOT AND DIRECTED PILOT WHERE TO LOCATE HELICOPTER DURING THE OPERATION. AFTER MAKING AN UNEVENTFUL FIRST PASS SHE DIRECTED THE PILOT TO MAKE ANOTHER PASS AND WAIT FOR THE CAR TO PASS UNDER THE HELICOPTER. WHILE THE HELICOPTER POSITIONED FOR THE CAR TO PASS UNDER ^PRIVACY DAT^ STATED SHE SAW THE MOUNTAIN AND HEARD A NOISE A FEW SECONDS LATER THE HELICOPTER WAS FALLING. ^PRIVACY DA^ WAS ALSO CONTACTED FOR A PHONE INTERVIEW. ^PRIVACY D^ WAS THE PRODUCER OF THE PHOTO SHOOT. ^PRIVACY D^ STATED AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE COULD SEE WHERE THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES MADE A CLEAN SWEEP ON THE MOUNTAIN. FURTHERMORE THERE WERE ROCKS IN THE ROAD AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. A DIGI-BETA PAL VIDEO CAMERA WAS LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE AND WAS IN THE HELICOPTER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CAMERA'S POWER SWITCH WAS FOUND IN THE ON POSITION AND THE TAPE DRIVE MECHANISM WAS IN THE RECORD MODE. THE CAMERA AND TAPE HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD'S VEHICLE RECORDER DIVISION, WASHINGTON, D.C., FOR EXAMINATION OF THE AUDIO/VIDEO MEDIA. AT THIS TIME THE RESULT OF THE CONTENT ARE UNKNOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.