- Date
- March 31, 1985, 12:32 local (20:32 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1434WBell 206A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850331009819A
- Case key
- 24688
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
During flt, the eng lost power & the plt began an autorotative landing in a parking lot. During the apch, he maneuvered to avoid a 100 ft crane. As the helicopter was approaching the intended touchdown point, a vehicle was driven into the flt path of the acft. To avoid the vehicle, the plt increased the collective to extend the glide path. Subsequently, the helicopter lost rotor RPM before touchdown & landed hard. An exam revealed that an improper part (an oil line) had been substituted for the 'compressor to fuel control pressure sensing' line (pn 6848471). The line had fractured at a b-nut which resulted in a loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1434W
- Reported as
- Bell 206A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 366
- Airframe hours
- 4,955
- Engine
- Allison 250-C18, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Blue Bird Express Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Ted T Kennedy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MYF · San Diego, CA
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 47 in this make and model · 1,050 as pilot in command · 190 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAN, 3 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.