What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 4, 2017 N702JJ a Robinson R22 beta helicopter, operated by jj helicopter, a holder of a letter of authorization (loa) to conduct commercial air tour operations under 14 CFR section 91.147, departed torrance airport (toa) with the left door removed at approximately 1632 local on a flight with one passenger to photograph cruise ships as they departed the port of los angeles in San Pedro, CA. The weather as recorded by toa tower, located approximately 8 miles from the accident site, at 1647 local was as follows: winds 300 at 4 KTS, visibility 10 miles, sky conditions 2200 feet scattered, 20000 feet overcast, temperature 13 degrees celsius, dew point 11, altimeter 30.08. According to a witness based at the us coast guard station (USCG) San Pedro, the helicopter was circling a cruise ship, as it passed by the coast guard base at approximately between 1715 and 1725 local on its way out of the shipping channel. The witness indicated he did not see or hear anything during his observation that the helicopter was in distress. According to radar plots of the helicopter, the helicopter was operating around the San Pedro harbor main channel area and made numerous orbits of the area at an altitude ranging between 200 and 700 feet. As the cruise ship was approaching the opening in the break wall at the los angeles harbor lighthouse, witnesses onboard the cruise ship reported seeing the helicopter spinning out of control and hitting the water just inside the breakwater rock wall at approximately 1635 local on quickly sinking. One witness said he could hear the engine getting louder as the helicopter got closer to the ship before it crashed into the water. The pilot and passenger onboard the helicopter were fatally injured. The only video footage obtained from the USCG was captured at night and shows the lights of an aircraft maneuvering by the cruise ship, in a circular upward motion (depicted by position lights) and going straight down and disappearing behind the cruise ship. On January 5, 2017 the helicopter was found and recovered under water inside the break wall, west of the los angeles harbor light house. The helicopter was mostly intact showing impact damage on the left front, the tail boom separated from the manufacture rivet line just forward of the boom beacon, one main rotor blade had indication of coning (was bent up), with one rotor blade broken off with approximately 28 inches still attached. The remainder of the missing blade was not recovered.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 4, 2017 N702JJ A ROBINSON R22 BETA HELICOPTER, OPERATED BY JJ HELICOPTER, A HOLDER OF A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION (LOA) TO CONDUCT COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR OPERATIONS UNDER 14 CFR SECTION 91.147, DEPARTED TORRANCE AIRPORT (TOA) WITH THE LEFT DOOR REMOVED AT APPROXIMATELY 1632 LOCAL ON A FLIGHT WITH ONE PASSENGER TO PHOTOGRAPH CRUISE SHIPS AS THEY DEPARTED THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES IN SAN PEDRO, CA. THE WEATHER AS RECORDED BY TOA TOWER, LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, AT 1647 LOCAL WAS AS FOLLOWS: WINDS 300 AT 4 KTS, VISIBILITY 10 MILES, SKY CONDITIONS 2200 FEET SCATTERED, 20000 FEET OVERCAST, TEMPERATURE 13 DEGREES CELSIUS, DEW POINT 11, ALTIMETER 30.08. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS BASED AT THE US COAST GUARD STATION (USCG) SAN PEDRO, THE HELICOPTER WAS CIRCLING A CRUISE SHIP, AS IT PASSED BY THE COAST GUARD BASE AT APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 1715 AND 1725 LOCAL ON ITS WAY OUT OF THE SHIPPING CHANNEL. THE WITNESS INDICATED HE DID NOT SEE OR HEAR ANYTHING DURING HIS OBSERVATION THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS IN DISTRESS. ACCORDING TO RADAR PLOTS OF THE HELICOPTER, THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING AROUND THE SAN PEDRO HARBOR MAIN CHANNEL AREA AND MADE NUMEROUS ORBITS OF THE AREA AT AN ALTITUDE RANGING BETWEEN 200 AND 700 FEET. AS THE CRUISE SHIP WAS APPROACHING THE OPENING IN THE BREAK WALL AT THE LOS ANGELES HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE, WITNESSES ONBOARD THE CRUISE SHIP REPORTED SEEING THE HELICOPTER SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL AND HITTING THE WATER JUST INSIDE THE BREAKWATER ROCK WALL AT APPROXIMATELY 1635 LOCAL ON QUICKLY SINKING. ONE WITNESS SAID HE COULD HEAR THE ENGINE GETTING LOUDER AS THE HELICOPTER GOT CLOSER TO THE SHIP BEFORE IT CRASHED INTO THE WATER. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER ONBOARD THE HELICOPTER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE ONLY VIDEO FOOTAGE OBTAINED FROM THE USCG WAS CAPTURED AT NIGHT AND SHOWS THE LIGHTS OF AN AIRCRAFT MANEUVERING BY THE CRUISE SHIP, IN A CIRCULAR UPWARD MOTION (DEPICTED BY POSITION LIGHTS) AND GOING STRAIGHT DOWN AND DISAPPEARING BEHIND THE CRUISE SHIP. ON JANUARY 5, 2017 THE HELICOPTER WAS FOUND AND RECOVERED UNDER WATER INSIDE THE BREAK WALL, WEST OF THE LOS ANGELES HARBOR LIGHT HOUSE. THE HELICOPTER WAS MOSTLY INTACT SHOWING IMPACT DAMAGE ON THE LEFT FRONT, THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED FROM THE MANUFACTURE RIVET LINE JUST FORWARD OF THE BOOM BEACON, ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE HAD INDICATION OF CONING (WAS BENT UP), WITH ONE ROTOR BLADE BROKEN OFF WITH APPROXIMATELY 28 INCHES STILL ATTACHED. THE REMAINDER OF THE MISSING BLADE WAS NOT RECOVERED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.