- Date
- May 20, 2004, 18:00 local (May 21, 2004, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Livermore, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N216HPEurocopter France AS350 B3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 7, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20040520009779A
- Case key
- 59266
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 maintain clearance from obstructions while landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The helicopter drifted aft while the pilot was hover taxiing into position for landing and the tail rotor struck a chain link fence, damaging the tail rotor and tail boom. Following the tail rotor strike, the pilot hovered the helicopter forward and landed.
Factual narrative
On May 20, 2004, at 1800 Pacific daylight time, an Eurocopter AS350 B3, N216HP, collided with a chain link fence while hover landing at Livermore Municipal Airport, Livermore, California. The California Highway Patrol was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot and single crewmember were not injured, and the helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed. The public-use flight originated at Sacramento Executive Airport, Sacramento, California, at 1725.
The pilot told the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he was hover taxiing into position for landing at the Livermore north ramp, G area. While executing the landing maneuver the helicopter drifted aft and the tail rotor struck a chain link fence, damaging the tail rotor and tail boom. The pilot hovered the helicopter forward and landed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N216HP
- Reported as
- Eurocopter France AS350 B3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3330
- Airframe hours
- 5,234.8
- Engine
- Turbomeca Aerial 2B, 632 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Public use
- Registered owner
- California Highway Patrol
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 16, 2004 · 34.8 hours before
- Departed
- KSAC · Sacaramento Exc, CA
- Destination
- KLVK · Livermore, CA
- Airport
- KLVK · Livermore Municipal
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 12, 2003
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 3,483 total · 1,189 in this make and model · 3,483 as pilot in command · 99 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KLVK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.