What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
11/17/2012: Received call at approximately 1654 hours from region operations center/ diane reporting 2 pasadena police helicopters colliding at pasadena police heliport, privacy data omitted. Collision occurred at 1600 hours. Reported one on ground waiting to takeoff and one landing at time of collision. Spoke with NTSB rep tealye cornejo at 1821 hours and arranged to meet at accident scene at 0900 on Sunday 11/18/2012. 11/18/2012: briefing held with NTSB and pasadena police officials. Chief pilot explained that around 1530 hours, N911FA, Bell OH-58, serial number 70-15152 took off from heliport with 2 observers on board to do traffic support after the usc-ucla football game at the rose bowl. Minutes thereafter, N96BM, Bell OH-58A, serial number 72-21364 received a call for a burglary and was towed out of the hangar to the flight line and parked adjacent to pad 1. The aircraft was started and being prepared to dispatch. As this was happening, the pilot of N911FA decided to return to base because of weather. The pilot of N911FA flew into position in the hold area, hovered to pad 2 and as it settled into place, the rotor tips of the two helicopters collided. A camera that was mounted to the hangar building recorded the accident as it happened. The video showed that N96BM was not parked on pad 1, but rather beside it, towards pad 2. The video showed N911FA fly into the hold area and hover to sit down on pad 2. The rotor blades collided just as the aircraft sat down on the pad.N96BM was rotated approximately 45 degrees from its original position. N911FA was still mostly with in pad 2 but rotated about 120 degrees from its original landing position. The rotors from both aircraft departed. N96BM'S rotor departed with gear box. Both aircraft received substantial damage to engine and airframe. Six persons were involved in the accident and were transported to a local hospital. One person that was on the ground, and one person who was an observer in the back seat of N911FA received minor injuries, were treated and released. The NTSB preliminary report reflects that the pilot and two passengers of N911FA received minor injuries. The pilot and tactical flight officer of N96BM received minor injuries, and one person on the ground received minor injuries. Interviewed ground person that was injured. He stated that he was watching the weather and was consulting with the pilot of N96BM while standing on the left skid when N911FA came in to land. He stated that he did not notice N96BM was not on its pad. Maintenance records were requested for both aircraft.11/28/2012: received and reviewed maintenance records for both aircraft. No anomalies were noted. The aircraft were being maintained per the manufacturer's program.
As the FAA filed it
11/17/2012: RECEIVED CALL AT APPROXIMATELY 1654 HOURS FROM REGION OPERATIONS CENTER/ DIANE REPORTING 2 PASADENA POLICE HELICOPTERS COLLIDING AT PASADENA POLICE HELIPORT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. COLLISION OCCURRED AT 1600 HOURS. REPORTED ONE ON GROUND WAITING TO TAKEOFF AND ONE LANDING AT TIME OF COLLISION.SPOKE WITH NTSB REP TEALYE CORNEJO AT 1821 HOURS AND ARRANGED TO MEET AT ACCIDENT SCENE AT 0900 ON SUNDAY 11/18/2012. 11/18/2012: BRIEFING HELD WITH NTSB AND PASADENA POLICE OFFICIALS. CHIEF PILOT EXPLAINED THAT AROUND 1530 HOURS, N911FA, BELL OH-58, SERIAL NUMBER 70-15152 TOOK OFF FROM HELIPORT WITH 2 OBSERVERS ON BOARD TO DO TRAFFIC SUPPORT AFTER THE USC-UCLA FOOTBALL GAME AT THE ROSE BOWL.MINUTES THEREAFTER, N96BM, BELL OH-58A, SERIAL NUMBER 72-21364 RECEIVED A CALL FOR A BURGLARY AND WAS TOWED OUT OF THE HANGAR TO THE FLIGHT LINE AND PARKED ADJACENT TO PAD 1. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STARTED AND BEING PREPARED TO DISPATCH.AS THIS WAS HAPPENING, THE PILOT OF N911FA DECIDED TO RETURN TO BASE BECAUSE OF WEATHER. THE PILOT OF N911FA FLEW INTO POSITION IN THE HOLD AREA, HOVERED TO PAD 2 AND AS IT SETTLED INTO PLACE, THE ROTOR TIPS OF THE TWO HELICOPTERS COLLIDED. A CAMERA THAT WAS MOUNTED TO THE HANGAR BUILDING RECORDED THE ACCIDENT AS IT HAPPENED. THE VIDEO SHOWED THAT N96BM WAS NOT PARKED ON PAD 1, BUT RATHER BESIDE IT, TOWARDS PAD 2. THE VIDEO SHOWED N911FA FLY INTO THE HOLD AREA AND HOVER TO SIT DOWN ON PAD 2. THE ROTOR BLADES COLLIDED JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT SAT DOWN ON THE PAD.N96BM WAS ROTATED APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES FROM ITS ORIGINAL POSITION. N911FA WAS STILL MOSTLY WITH IN PAD 2 BUT ROTATED ABOUT 120 DEGREES FROM ITS ORIGINAL LANDING POSITION.THE ROTORS FROM BOTH AIRCRAFT DEPARTED. N96BM'S ROTOR DEPARTED WITH GEAR BOX.BOTH AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ENGINE AND AIRFRAME.SIX PERSONS WERE INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL. ONE PERSON THAT WAS ON THE GROUND, AND ONE PERSON WHO WAS AN OBSERVER IN THE BACK SEAT OF N911FA RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, WERE TREATED AND RELEASED. THE NTSB PRELIMINARY REPORT REFLECTS THAT THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS OF N911FA RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE PILOT AND TACTICAL FLIGHT OFFICER OF N96BM RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AND ONE PERSON ON THE GROUND RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.INTERVIEWED GROUND PERSON THAT WAS INJURED. HE STATED THAT HE WAS WATCHING THE WEATHER AND WAS CONSULTING WITH THE PILOT OF N96BM WHILE STANDING ON THE LEFT SKID WHEN N911FA CAME IN TO LAND. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT NOTICE N96BM WAS NOT ON ITS PAD. MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE REQUESTED FOR BOTH AIRCRAFT.11/28/2012: RECEIVED AND REVIEWED MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR BOTH AIRCRAFT. NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. THE AIRCRAFT WERE BEING MAINTAINED PER THE MANUFACTURER'S PROGRAM.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.