What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This transport category helicopter was dispatched as the command ship for the "montibello hills fire" on Sunday 08/16/2015. It was being operated under part 91 rules as a "public use aircraft" by the l.a. county fire department.
It departed barton heliport in pacomia, California at approximately 1445, according to l.a. county fire department operations records with three persons on-board. The PIC and two fire battalion chief's.
At approximately 17:15 hours according to skytrac the aircraft went off the grid, the accident occurring at 2+23 hours total time into the flight. The aircraft had been involved in low-level, low speed manuvering during the flight and was in an area that has numerous wire hazards that extend to approximately 150 to 200 feet above the terrain.
From the desription of fire department officials and the pilot's statement's the aircraft was allowed to run out of fuel.
The pilot executed an autorotation to the rose hill cemetery in Montebello [east of the 605 san gabriel frwy and south of the 60 frwy] from approximately 300 feet AGL. The PIC indicates that he doesn't believe there are additional possibilities involved with the accident cause. Between the operations fire chief's, the dom and the pilot statements in all likelihood, fuel exhaustion is the pcof.
The dom at the maintenance base was able to manually measure 2.5 gallons of fuel remaining in the right fuel cell & .5 gal. Or less remaining in the left fuel cell after the a/c had been recovered.
This a/c according to the dom departed barton helicopter base with approximately 211.5 gallons of fuel (1438 lbs) on board. The pilot verified that in his statement also.
A retired chief [contractor] in the jump seat suffered a minor back injury in the autorotation and was ground evaced to a local hospital - he returned to duty the following week.
As the FAA filed it
THIS TRANSPORT CATEGORY HELICOPTER WAS DISPATCHED AS THE COMMAND SHIP FOR THE "MONTIBELLO HILLS FIRE" ON SUNDAY 08/16/2015. IT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER PART 91 RULES AS A "PUBLIC USE AIRCRAFT" BY THE L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IT DEPARTED BARTON HELIPORT IN PACOMIA, CALIFORNIA AT APPROXIMATELY 1445, ACCORDING TO L.A. COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS RECORDS WITH THREE PERSONS ON-BOARD. THE PIC AND TWO FIRE BATTALION CHIEF'S.
AT APPROXIMATELY 17:15 HOURS ACCORDING TO SKYTRAC THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE GRID, THE ACCIDENT OCCURRING AT 2+23 HOURS TOTAL TIME INTO THE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN LOW-LEVEL, LOW SPEED MANUVERING DURING THE FLIGHT AND WAS IN AN AREA THAT HAS NUMEROUS WIRE HAZARDS THAT EXTEND TO APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 200 FEET ABOVE THE TERRAIN.
FROM THE DESRIPTION OF FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS AND THE PILOT'S STATEMENT'S THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALLOWED TO RUN OUT OF FUEL.
THE PILOT EXECUTED AN AUTOROTATION TO THE ROSE HILL CEMETERY IN MONTEBELLO [EAST OF THE 605 SAN GABRIEL FRWY AND SOUTH OF THE 60 FRWY] FROM APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AGL. THE PIC INDICATES THAT HE DOESN'T BELIEVE THERE ARE ADDITIONAL POSSIBILITIES INVOLVED WITH THE ACCIDENT CAUSE. BETWEEN THE OPERATIONS FIRE CHIEF'S, THE DOM AND THE PILOT STATEMENTS IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, FUEL EXHAUSTION IS THE PCOF.
THE DOM AT THE MAINTENANCE BASE WAS ABLE TO MANUALLY MEASURE 2.5 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE RIGHT FUEL CELL & .5 GAL. OR LESS REMAINING IN THE LEFT FUEL CELL AFTER THE A/C HAD BEEN RECOVERED.
THIS A/C ACCORDING TO THE DOM DEPARTED BARTON HELICOPTER BASE WITH APPROXIMATELY 211.5 GALLONS OF FUEL (1438 LBS) ON BOARD. THE PILOT VERIFIED THAT IN HIS STATEMENT ALSO.
A RETIRED CHIEF [CONTRACTOR] IN THE JUMP SEAT SUFFERED A MINOR BACK INJURY IN THE AUTOROTATION AND WAS GROUND EVACED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL - HE RETURNED TO DUTY THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.