# Accident 20130606009759A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Los Angeles, CA, June 6, 2013 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 6, 2013, 14:17 local time - Place: Los Angeles, CA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.1247° N, 118.2911° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1247&lon=-118.2911&mi=10 - Aircraft: N915BW, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N915BW) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (registry code 41899, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-ae1a5) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540-AE1A5 - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 2 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 5,000 total, 1,500 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR13FA264](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA264) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130606009759A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JUNE 6, 2013, A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HELICOPTERS FLIGHT SCHOOL WAS REPOSITIONING ONE OF THEIR ROBINSON R44 II HELICOPTERS (N915BW) FROM REDLANDS CA. (REI) TO LONG BEACH (LGB) CA. UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF REGULATIONS PART 91 AND UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THIS HELICOPTER WAS LOCATED IN REDLANDS CA. (REI) FOR MAINTENANCE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DEPARTED (REI) WITH A PASSENGER, LANDED AT BRACKETT AIRPORT (POC) TO PICK-UP TWO ADDITIONAL PASSENGERS (PERSONAL FRIENDS), PROVIDE A TOUR OF LOS ANGELES, AND RETURN THE HELICOPTER TO THE OPERATORS BASE OF OPERATION, LONG BEACH CA. (LGB). THE FLIGHT TOUR FROM BRACKETT AIRPORT (POC), CONTINUED WEST TO SANTA MONICA CA., INLAND TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS THEME PARK, FORREST LAWN CEMETERY, THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN, AND OVER GRIFFITH PARK OBSERVATORY (EAST BOUND). AT ABOUT 1700 FEET MSL NEAR THE GRIFFITH PARK OBSERVATORY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR OBSERVED THE MAIN ROTOR GEARBOX CHIP WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THEN STARTED TO LOOK FOR POTENTIAL LANDING AREAS. THE FIRST AREA THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED TO LAND WAS AN ASPHALT AREA THAT WAS OCCUPIED WITH NUMEROUS HIKERS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THEN OBSERVED AN AREA TO THE LEFT AND PROCEEDED TO A TRAIL ON THE SOUTHERN SLOPES OF GRIFFITH PARK AREA TO A RIDGE LINE WITH A SMALL CLEARING ON A PINNACLE AT THE END OF THE TRAIL. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THEN ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT ON THIS CLEARING BECAUSE THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO MAKE AN UNUSUAL SOUND. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THEN INITIATED A DESCENT, WHILE MANUEVERING THE HELICOPTER ONTO A WEST HEADING, LANDED ON THE CLEARING, BUT BEFORE HE COULD FULLY LOWER THE COLLECTIVE THE HELICOPTER SLIPPED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THEN RAISED THE COLLECTIVE AND THE HELICOPTER IMMEDIATELY SPUN TO THE LEFT, ROLLED OVER TOWARDS THE LEFT, CRASHED ON ITS SIDE. THE CRASH CAUSED ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO SEPARATE SEVERAL FEET FROM THE MAIN ROTOR HUB, THE OTHER MAIN ROTOR BLADE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE MAIN ROTOR HUB WITH MID-SPAN BENDING DAMAGE, THE TAIL BOOM WAS PARTIALLY SHEARED AT THE BULKHEAD, AND BENT 45 DEGREES UPWARD. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND FOWARD PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND THE TWO REAR PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED. THE POSITION OF THE HELICOPTER AFTER THE CRASH WAS ON ITS LEFT SIDE IN DRY GRASS AND SHRUB, WITH ITS NOSE FACING NORTH. THE MAIN CABIN WAS INTACT. ON JULY 15, 2013 THE MAIN ROTOR GEARBOX WAS TORN DOWN WITH THE NTSB, FAA, AND ROBINSON HELICOPTERS. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFIGANT ITEMS FOUND THAT WERE RELATED TO MECHANICAL FAILURES THAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THE INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN AN EIR BEING SENT TO THE OWNER ON JULY 16, 2013, FOR NOT HAVING AN EFFECTIVE STANDARD AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE BECAUSE THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT REGISTERED BY THE OWNER. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT LISTED IN THE ACCIDENT WITH A STANDARD AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AND REGISTRATION FROM MILE HIGH HELICOPTERS. THE INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A SECOND EIR THAT WAS SENT TO THE A&P/IA MECHANIC FOR NOT PERFORMING MAINTENANCE CORRECTLY, BUT WAS NOT A CAUSE FOR THE ACCIDENT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB WPR13FA264](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA264), Jun 6, 2013: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N915BW), Los Angeles, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s loss of helicopter control following a precautionary landing, which resulted in a dynamic rollover. ## Other reports on N915BW (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20110723016289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110723016289A), Jul 23, 2011: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II (N915BW), Broomfield, CO, Substantial damage. On July 23, 2011 at 11:33AM a Robinson R-44 raven ii, N915BW,registered to mile high rotors LLC, struck the tarmac with the tail rotor and landed hard during… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.