# Accident 20140418004629A: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500N, Santa Monica, CA, April 18, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 18, 2014, 13:30 local time
- Place: Santa Monica, CA
- Airport: Santa Monica
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.0161° N, 118.4514° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0161&lon=-118.4514&mi=10
- Aircraft: N522GS (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 500N
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C20 SER
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR14LA253](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA253) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140418004629A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON APRIL 18, 2014 AT APPROX. 1330 PDT, N522GS, A MCDONNEL DOUGLAS 500N HELICOPTER,  LANDED AT SANTA MONICA AIRPORT, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA. THE LANDING WAS REPORTED AS NORMAL BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND, HOWEVER UPON LANDING THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR SKID FAILED.

ON APRIL 21, 2014,THE PILOT IN COMMAND,   STATED THAT HE LANDED ON THE PORTABLE LANDING PAD AND UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO LEAN DRASTICALLY TO RIGHT. THE PILOT THEN LIFTED THE AIRCRAFT OFF OF THE PAD AND HIS PASSENGER OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT LANDING SKID APPEARED TO BE BROKEN. HE THEN LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE PAVEMENT.

UPON LANDING ON THE PAVEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE LEFT SKID AND THE RIGHT ENTRANCE STEP. THE MAIN ROTOR DID NOT CONTACT THE GROUND AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO GROUND OR FLIGHT PERSONNEL.

INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT AFT GEAR STRUT FAILED BY BREAKING IN HALF AND THE FORWARD RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUT FAILED BY BREAKING AT THE OLEO STRUT ATTACHMENT. THIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AT THE FORWARD GEAR STRUT.

THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT THERE IS AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE TO INSPECT THE LANDING GEAR FOR CRACKS AND THAT IT WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN DECEMBER 2013.

INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS REVEALED THAT  AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE AD2007-12-23 IS APPLICABLE TO THIS AIRCRAFT AND WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN DECEMBER 2013.

THE LOS ANGELES AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION OFFICE (LAX ACO) WAS CONTACTED AND ALERTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR SKID HAD FAILED. THE LAX ACO THEN CONTACTED MCDONNEL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER (MDH) AND ARRANGED FOR MDH TO RECEIVE THE DAMAGED PARTS FOR EVALUATION TO DETERMINE THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE.  AFTER FURTHER REVIEW BY THE NTSB IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS IS AN ACCIDENT. SEVERAL OF THE DAMAGED PARTS WERE SENT TO THE NTSB LAB IN WASH. DC FOR FURTHER EVALUATION OF THE FAILED PARTS.

## 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 WPR14LA253](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA253), Apr 18, 2014: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500N (N522GS), Santa Monica, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The fracture of the right aft landing gear strut due to undetected fatigue cracking in an inboard rivet hole.

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.

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