- Date
- August 16, 2015, 19:11 local (Aug 17, 2015, 02:11 UTC)
- Place
- Whittier, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N412LABell 412
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150816022059A
- Case key
- 91824
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to appropriately monitor the helicopter's fuel supply, resulting in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and an autorotation with a hard landing.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot of the public use, multi-engine helicopter, he performed an autorotation and landing after exhausting the helicopter's fuel supply in flight. The pilot reported that while acting as the Helicopter Commander during a brush fire containment mission, the complexities involved with managing the fire increased and as a result, the pilot stated, "I failed to re-adjust my station time appropriately for my aircraft." He reported that both engines lost power and he executed an autorotation and touchdown onto down sloping terrain. Upon impact with the ground, the main rotor blades flexed down and severed the tail boom. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom, the main rotor and tail rotor blades, the main rotor drive system and the primary flight controls. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the public use, multi-engine helicopter, he performed an autorotation and landing after exhausting the helicopter's fuel supply in flight. The pilot reported that while acting as the Helicopter Commander during a brush fire containment mission, the complexities involved with managing the fire increased and as a result, the pilot stated, "I failed to re-adjust my station time appropriately for my aircraft." He reported that both engines lost power and he executed an autorotation and touchdown onto down sloping terrain. Upon impact with the ground, the main rotor blades flexed down and severed the tail boom. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom, the main rotor and tail rotor blades, the main rotor drive system and the primary flight controls. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N412LA
- Reported as
- Bell 412 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 33061
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 8,918
- Engines
- P&W Canada PT6T-3BE, 800 horsepower, turbo shaftP&W Canada PT6T-3BE, 800 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Firefighting · Public use
- Operator
- County Of Los Angeles Fire Department
- Registered owner
- County Of Los Angeles Fire Department
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 22, 2015
- Departed
- WHP · Pacoima, CA
- Destination
- Whittier, CA
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 9, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 16,300 total · 600 in this make and model · 1,600 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 23.3 in the last 30 days · 2.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- EMT, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 26, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N412LA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.