- Date
- November 19, 1987, 15:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Rialto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N66WLBell 206L-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871119066679A
- Case key
- 25788
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
The pilot lost control of the recently painted helicopter during the takeoff. The paint shop personnel had moved the helo to a airplane parking spot. The helo skids straddled the tie-down chains. Two wing tie-down chains were incorrectly attached to the right landing gear skid. One witness indicated that he walked around the helo examining the new paint before the arrival of the plt and pax. He stated that he did not notice any tie-down chains on the acft. The plt did not notice the tie-down chains during the preflight check and did not remove them. The chains were attached without tension. As the helo came to a hover, the slack was taken up. With the right skid tube tethered, the helo rolled right allowing the main rotor blades to strike the ground. Ac 20-35C states, 'fasten the tie-down ropes to the fuselage mooring points and extend them to the ground mooring anchors'. The chains were dark brown in color and did not clearly contrast with the asphalt surface.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N66WL
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51041
- Airframe hours
- 817
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30, 435 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- William Lyon Company
- Registered owner
- William Lyon Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 28, 1987 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- L67 · Rialto, CA
- Destination
- SNA · Santa Ana, CA
- Airport
- L67 · Miro Field
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,261 total · 1,070 in this make and model · 2,100 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ONT, 11 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.