What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter departed pakn at 3:55P on a course of 065* toward paho with current ATIS info (it was the first clear sky VFR day in several days). Rotor wing pilot (rwp), upon exiting class d airspace, requested frequency change with pakn, to 122.9, continued on course at about 1000’ AGL, 100 KIAS with slight tailwind. Rwp heard broken calls on radio, did not recognize locations given, did not see any aircraft on ADS-B supported screens/devices, did not make his own position report. About 30-35 min into flight (same flight config), collision occurred (loud crash, followed by sounds of parts flying through air). Helicopter chasis started spinning; rwp determined there was no pedal control, used cyclic input to stop helicopter from rolling, reduced throttle to slow spinning and regain visual acuity and reference to ground, pulled collective at tree level to cusion landing.
DHC-2 beaver departed scenic viewing site with 2 guides and 4 guests on a northerly course towards base lodge. Fixed wing pilot (fwp) made radio calls on 122.9 using local landmarks and heard calls of other local pilots in return. 15 minutes into flight, fwp made call “...south end of American river at 800 ft, flying upriver.” just over 4 NM upriver, fwp readied for climb and slight turn to right. Front right pax w headset said, “(fwp), helicopter left.” mid-air collision occurred. Fwp turned plane left 180* to fly back to lake downriver to make emergency landing after “mayday” radio call. Reported mid-air collision with helicopter and gave location. Plane was flying rough; fwp determined that impacted float was okay to make water landing.
Rear left pax (rlp) and rear right pax (rrp), each without headset, saw heli at distance of 200-300 yds off left wing, same altitude (slighly lower, slightly behind at first), 15-30 sec before impact, on a near parallel but converging path. Both looked to cockpit but did not see indication that fwp recognized heli off to left. Heli flying faster than plane, converging more quickly as time passed.
Front right pax (frp), looking across fwp out left window, saw heli only a few seconds before impact, first at 9:30-10:00 position, then about 11:00 position at impact.
Fwp never saw heli; rwp never saw beaver.
Plane had 2 0F 3 prop blades damaged; engine cowling peppered dings; front left float had about 6” hole, some structural damage, piece of heli tail rotor inside float hull.
Heli missing entire tail rotor gearbox, blades, and vertical fin due to collision. Additional severe hull, tail boom, main rotor damage upon landing.
Fwp started work day at 7A, 2 earlier flights. Aircraft not equipped w ADS-B.
Rwp started flying at 8A, 14th day of 14 day assignment. Returned to pakn @3PM, ate sandwhich before departure.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER DEPARTED PAKN AT 3:55P ON A COURSE OF 065* TOWARD PAHO WITH CURRENT ATIS INFO (IT WAS THE FIRST CLEAR SKY VFR DAY IN SEVERAL DAYS). ROTOR WING PILOT (RWP), UPON EXITING CLASS D AIRSPACE, REQUESTED FREQUENCY CHANGE WITH PAKN, TO 122.9, CONTINUED ON COURSE AT ABOUT 1000’ AGL, 100 KIAS WITH SLIGHT TAILWIND. RWP HEARD BROKEN CALLS ON RADIO, DID NOT RECOGNIZE LOCATIONS GIVEN, DID NOT SEE ANY AIRCRAFT ON ADS-B SUPPORTED SCREENS/DEVICES, DID NOT MAKE HIS OWN POSITION REPORT. ABOUT 30-35 MIN INTO FLIGHT (SAME FLIGHT CONFIG), COLLISION OCCURRED (LOUD CRASH, FOLLOWED BY SOUNDS OF PARTS FLYING THROUGH AIR). HELICOPTER CHASIS STARTED SPINNING; RWP DETERMINED THERE WAS NO PEDAL CONTROL, USED CYCLIC INPUT TO STOP HELICOPTER FROM ROLLING, REDUCED THROTTLE TO SLOW SPINNING AND REGAIN VISUAL ACUITY AND REFERENCE TO GROUND, PULLED COLLECTIVE AT TREE LEVEL TO CUSION LANDING.
DHC-2 BEAVER DEPARTED SCENIC VIEWING SITE WITH 2 GUIDES AND 4 GUESTS ON A NORTHERLY COURSE TOWARDS BASE LODGE. FIXED WING PILOT (FWP) MADE RADIO CALLS ON 122.9 USING LOCAL LANDMARKS AND HEARD CALLS OF OTHER LOCAL PILOTS IN RETURN. 15 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT, FWP MADE CALL “...SOUTH END OF AMERICAN RIVER AT 800 FT, FLYING UPRIVER.” JUST OVER 4 NM UPRIVER, FWP READIED FOR CLIMB AND SLIGHT TURN TO RIGHT. FRONT RIGHT PAX W HEADSET SAID, “(FWP), HELICOPTER LEFT.” MID-AIR COLLISION OCCURRED. FWP TURNED PLANE LEFT 180* TO FLY BACK TO LAKE DOWNRIVER TO MAKE EMERGENCY LANDING AFTER “MAYDAY” RADIO CALL. REPORTED MID-AIR COLLISION WITH HELICOPTER AND GAVE LOCATION. PLANE WAS FLYING ROUGH; FWP DETERMINED THAT IMPACTED FLOAT WAS OKAY TO MAKE WATER LANDING.
REAR LEFT PAX (RLP) AND REAR RIGHT PAX (RRP), EACH WITHOUT HEADSET, SAW HELI AT DISTANCE OF 200-300 YDS OFF LEFT WING, SAME ALTITUDE (SLIGHLY LOWER, SLIGHTLY BEHIND AT FIRST), 15-30 SEC BEFORE IMPACT, ON A NEAR PARALLEL BUT CONVERGING PATH. BOTH LOOKED TO COCKPIT BUT DID NOT SEE INDICATION THAT FWP RECOGNIZED HELI OFF TO LEFT. HELI FLYING FASTER THAN PLANE, CONVERGING MORE QUICKLY AS TIME PASSED.
FRONT RIGHT PAX (FRP), LOOKING ACROSS FWP OUT LEFT WINDOW, SAW HELI ONLY A FEW SECONDS BEFORE IMPACT, FIRST AT 9:30-10:00 POSITION, THEN ABOUT 11:00 POSITION AT IMPACT.
FWP NEVER SAW HELI; RWP NEVER SAW BEAVER.
PLANE HAD 2 0F 3 PROP BLADES DAMAGED; ENGINE COWLING PEPPERED DINGS; FRONT LEFT FLOAT HAD ABOUT 6” HOLE, SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, PIECE OF HELI TAIL ROTOR INSIDE FLOAT HULL.
HELI MISSING ENTIRE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX, BLADES, AND VERTICAL FIN DUE TO COLLISION. ADDITIONAL SEVERE HULL, TAIL BOOM, MAIN ROTOR DAMAGE UPON LANDING.
FWP STARTED WORK DAY AT 7A, 2 EARLIER FLIGHTS. AIRCRAFT NOT EQUIPPED W ADS-B.
RWP STARTED FLYING AT 8A, 14TH DAY OF 14 DAY ASSIGNMENT. RETURNED TO PAKN @3PM, ATE SANDWHICH BEFORE DEPARTURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.