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20090219009919A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Doug 600N · San Clemente, CA · February 19, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
February 19, 2009 · 19:30 local
Place
San Clemente, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N608BP
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR09GA119
Reported as
Doug 600N
Reported engine
Allison 250C47M
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,000 total1,370 in this make and model55 in the last 90 days
N608BPRegistration cancelled Mar 27, 2018 · Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600NS/N RN037Airframe modelMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 600NEngine modelAllison 250-C47 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) This helicopter departed long beach daugherty field (klgb) at approximately 1900 local time en route to san diego brown field (ksdm). About 30 minutes into the flight, the copilot occupying the left front seat was at the controls, cruising at 1,500 feet MSL over san onofre beach. At this time the PIC dalour noticed the intermittent illumination of the ecu degraded caution light. The PIC sitting in the front right seat took over the control and almost immediately there was a loud explosion. The PIC decided to enter autorotation with a right turn (towards the ocean). He completed a descending turn of about 140 degrees and executed a touch down landing in beach waters edge with no lateral or forward motion according to the PIC. The aircraft ended in the surf with nose pointing to a northwesterly direction. During the final phase of the landing, at least one main rotor blade made contact with the tail boom. The copilot could not evacuate the aircraft through his door, so both pilots evacuated through the front right door. The passenger evacuated through left rear door; the right door was also jammed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THIS HELICOPTER DEPARTED LONG BEACH DAUGHERTY FIELD (KLGB) AT APPROXIMATELY 1900 LOCAL TIME EN ROUTE TO SAN DIEGO BROWN FIELD (KSDM). ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE COPILOT OCCUPYING THE LEFT FRONT SEAT WAS AT THE CONTROLS, CRUISING AT 1,500 FEET MSL OVER SAN ONOFRE BEACH. AT THIS TIME THE PIC DALOUR NOTICED THE INTERMITTENT ILLUMINATION OF THE ECU DEGRADED CAUTION LIGHT. THE PIC SITTING IN THE FRONT RIGHT SEAT TOOK OVER THE CONTROL AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION. THE PIC DECIDED TO ENTER AUTOROTATION WITH A RIGHT TURN (TOWARDS THE OCEAN). HE COMPLETED A DESCENDING TURN OF ABOUT 140 DEGREES AND EXECUTED A TOUCH DOWN LANDING IN BEACH WATERS EDGE WITH NO LATERAL OR FORWARD MOTION ACCORDING TO THE PIC. THE AIRCRAFT ENDED IN THE SURF WITH NOSE POINTING TO A NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION. DURING THE FINAL PHASE OF THE LANDING, AT LEAST ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE MADE CONTACT WITH THE TAIL BOOM. THE COPILOT COULD NOT EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH HIS DOOR, SO BOTH PILOTS EVACUATED THROUGH THE FRONT RIGHT DOOR. THE PASSENGER EVACUATED THROUGH LEFT REAR DOOR; THE RIGHT DOOR WAS ALSO JAMMED.

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 WPR09GA119Accident · Serious injuriesFinal reportSan Clemente, CAFailure of the engine’s number two bearing during cruise flight, which resulted in a loss of engine power.Feb 20, 2009 · Substantial damage