- Date
- February 28, 1986, 22:44 local (Mar 1, 1986, 06:44 UTC)
- Place
- Ontario, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5694REnstrom 280C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report March 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860228004279A
- Case key
- 24903
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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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
Bfr deptg tucson, AZ on a return flt to long beach, CA, 2 student helicopter plts (the owners) were advised VFR flt was not rcmdd due to low ceiling/vis at the destn. Neither plt was endorsed for x-country flt. En route, they lndd/refueled at gila bend & parker, AZ. At 2124 PST, they told TRACON they were VFR at 4500' & rcvd vectors to long beach. However, drg arrival, the arpt was not visible due to a 500' overcast. The crew rprtd 40 min of fuel remaining & reqd vectors to the nearest arpt with VFR conds. Ontario intl & norton afb were the only arpts in the area with no ceiling; both were rprtg aprx 1 mi vis with fog & haze. The crew diverted to Ontario & were clrd for a special VFR dscnt to rwy 26L. About 3 min later, while dscndg thru 2000', their clnc was amended due to possible conflicting traffic. Shortly thereafter, radio & radar contact with the acft were lost. At 0151, the acft was fnd aprx 1 mi south of the arpt where it impacted in a nose low, left bank attitude. Tests showed 1 student (presumed 2ND-IN-command) had a blood/alcohol lvl of 0.160%.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5694R
- Reported as
- Enstrom 280C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1199
- Airframe hours
- 1,161
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-E1BD, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lane W. Noren/Dennis J. Weih
- Registered owner
- Crocker Equipment Leasing, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 10, 1986 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- P20 · Parker, AZ
- Destination
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Airport
- ONT · Ontario Intl, runway 26L, 10,200 × 150 ft, concrete
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 60 in this make and model · 15 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ONT, 1 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.