# Accident 20220219001009A: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500N, Newport Beach, CA, February 19, 2022 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 19, 2022, 18:30 local time - Place: Newport Beach, CA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Maneuver - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: GWBM - Location: 33.6104° N, 117.9244° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6104&lon=-117.9244&mi=10 - Aircraft: N521HB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N521HB-2023-03-04) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500N (registry code 3027374, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-helicopter-500n) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 series (registry code 03020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 500N - Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C20 SER - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 3,720 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR22FA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22FA101) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220219001009A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON 02/19/2022, APPROXIMATELY 18:30 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, HUNTINGTON BEACH POLICE HELICOPTER, MD500N, N521HB, OPERATING AS A PUBLIC AIRCRAFT, RESPONDED TO A CALL NEAR THE LIDO PENINSULA IN NEWPORT BEACH, CA. WHILE PERFORMING RIGHT HAND ORBITS OVER THE SCENE AT 400 TO 500 FEET, THE PILOT REPORTED HE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED AN UN-COMMANDED RIGHT YAW RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT SAID THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING GOOD, JUST LOST ALL ANTI TORQUE AUTHORITY, ADDING POWER SLOWED THE RIGHT SPIN. SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE RECOVERED FROM THE HELICOPTERS CAMERA SHOWED THE HELICOPTER MAKING SEVERAL RIGHT HAND ORBITS PRIOR TO AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT HAND SPIN. THIS FOOTAGE INCLUDED THE AIRCRAFT SPEED, ALTITUDE AND DIRECTION, AT APPROXIMATELY 13 KNOTS AND AT 400 FOOT ALTITUDE THE SPIN STARTED, RADAR DATA SHOWS SIMILAR DATA. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE HELICOPTER SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL BEFORE IMPACTING THE WATER. VIDEO SURVEILLANCE FROM A HOME SHOWED THE HELICOPTER SPINNING TO THE RIGHT IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE BEFORE IMPACTING THE WATER RIGHT SIDE FIRST, IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE OBSERVER IN THE RIGHT SEAT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS IN NIGHT/VFR CONDITIONS, WEATHER DATA INDICATED WIND WAS VARIABLE AT 3KTS TO CALM. THREE ROTOR BLADES REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ROTOR HEAD, TWO BLADES HAD SEPARATED AND RECOVERED IN THE VICINITY OF THE IMPACT SITE. THE HORIZONTAL AND THE TWO VERTICAL TAIL ASSEMBLIES WERE DISPLACED TO THE LEFT, SUPPORTING BRACKET AND CONTROL ARM WERE BROKEN. THE ROTATING CONE WAS DISPLACED OFF THE TRACK. THE TAIL BOOM REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. COCKPIT WINDSCREENS / WINDOWS WERE SHATTERED. THE HORIZONTAL /VERTICAL TAIL ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED FOR TRANSPORTATION. THE HELICOPTER WAS TRUCKED TO A STORAGE YARD 4 MILES AWAY. THE FAA IIC, CONTINUED THE FIELD INVESTIGATION AT THE STORAGE YARD. IN ADDITION THE NTSB IIC, NTSB HELICOPTER SPECIALIST, MD HELICOPTER REPRESENTATIVE, ROLLS-ROYCE ENGINE REPRESENTATIVE ASSISTED. TWO HUNTINGTON BEACH FLIGHT DEPARTMENT MECHANICS WERE ALSO PRESENT. THE FOLLOWING SYSTEMS WERE CHECKED FOR MOVEMENT AND CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED (ALTHOUGH THERE WAS DAMAGED AND BROKEN LINKAGES ON THE SWASH PLATE) , COLLECTIVE, CYCLIC, THROTTLE, ANTI-TORQUE CONTROL SYSTEM FROM THE PEDALS ALL THE WAY TO THE VARIABLE PITCH FAN, RIGHT VERTICAL STABILIZER AND FINALLY TO THE ROTATING CONTROL CONE. THE MAIN ROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM ROTATED FREELY BE HAND AND THERE WAS CONTINUITY BETWEEN THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, DRIVE SHAFTS AND THE NOTAR ANTI-TORQUE FAN. THE FAN GEARBOX AND MAIN TRANSMISSION CHIP DETECTOR CHECKED CLEAN WITH MINOR FUZZ, AND NO METALLIC CHIPS FOUND. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL LINES, GOING TO THE SPRAY NOZZLE AT THE BURNER CAN. ALL ?B? NUTS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WERE AT LEAST FINGER TIGHT ACCORDING TO THE ROLLS-ROYCE REPRESENTATIVE. WHAT APPEARED TO BE JET FUEL WAS IN THE GAS TANK, THE FUEL SMELLED LIKE JET FUEL. THE RIGHT SIDE ANTI-TORQUE PEDALS WERE NOT INSTALLED. THE YAW STABILITY AUGMENTATION SYSTEM (YSAS) ACTUATOR THAT CONTROLS THE RIGHT VERTICAL TAIL TO AID IN YAW STABILITY WAS IN THE FULL RIGHT YAW POSITION. THE YSAS ACTUATOR, GYRO AND COMPUTER WAS REMOVED BY THE NTSB FOR FURTHER TESTING. THE PILOT COMPLETED RECURRENT MD520N TRAINING ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 AND MD530F DIFFERENCES TRAINING ON FEBRUARY 2, 2022. A REVIEW OF THE WEIGHT & BALANCED DATA OBTAINED INDICATED THE HELICOPTER WAS WITHIN ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY AND MAXIMUM/MINIMUM WEIGHT LIMIT. ## 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 WPR22FA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22FA101), Feb 20, 2022: Mcdonnell Douglas 500N (N521HB), Newport Beach, CA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The helicopter’s encounter with unanticipated right yaw during a low-altitude, low-airspeed, tight-radius orbit. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction during the orbit, which… ## Other reports on N521HB (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20091016053579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20091016053579A), Oct 16, 2009: Mcdonnell D 500N (N521HB), Los Alamitos, CA, Substantial damage. During my interview with the pilot, he stated that they were about one hour into the training flight when he decided to demonstrate a power recovery… 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.