- Date
- February 13, 1991, 15:28 local (23:28 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Paula, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 2 serious, 1 minor
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2282TBell 206BN31512Aerotek Pitts S-2A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19910213002321A19910213002322A
- Case key
- 26977
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
Inadequate visual lookout by the bell 206B pilot, which resulted in his failure to see-and-avoid the pitts S-2A. A factor related to the accident was: the S-2A pilot's restricted visibility from the tailwheel equipped airplane, once it was in position on the runway for takeoff.
Inadequate visual lookout by the bell 206B pilot, which resulted in his failure to see-and-avoid the pitts S-2A. A factor related to the accident was: the S-2A pilot's restricted visibility rrom the tailwheel equipped airplane, once it was in position on the runway for takeoff.
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
A helicopter (bell 206B, N2282T) & an airplane (pitts S-2A, N31512) collided in mid-air during their initial takeoff climb from an uncontrolled airport. The collision occurred as the airplane was taking off from runway 22 & the helicopter was departing from an adjacent helipad near the midpoint of the 2650' runway. The helicopter pilot said that after lift-off from the helipad, he brought the helicopter to a hover & hover taxied it to the runway. He said he visually cleared the runway, & after about 10 sec, he began his departure. Subsequently, the helicopter's flight path merged with the flight path of the airplane over the runway. Forward visibility from the tailwheel equipped airplane would have been restricted while its tailwheel was on the runway surface. Aircraft tiedowns were located between the approach end of runway 22 & the helipad; aircraft parked in this tie-down area would have restricted the view between the approach end of the runway & the helipad.
A helicopter (bell 206B, N2282T) & an airplane (pitts S-2A, N31512) collided in mid-air during their initial takeoff climb from an uncontrolled airport. The collision occurred as the airplane was taking off from runway 22 & the helicopter was departing from an adjacent helipad near the midpoint of the 2650' runway. The helicopter pilot said that after lift-off from the helipad, he brought the helicopter to a hover & hover taxied it to the runway. He said he visually cleared the runway, & after about 10 sec, he began his departure. Subsequently, the helicopter's flight path merged with the flight path of the airplane over the runway. Forward visibility from the tailwheel equipped airplane would have been restricted while its tailwheel was on the runway surface. Aircraft tiedowns were located between the approach end of runway 22 & the helipad; aircraft parked in this tie-down area would have restricted the view between the approach end of the runway & the helipad.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N2282T
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3634
- Airframe hours
- 2,343
- Engine
- Allison 25O-C20J, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Airwolf Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 10, 1990 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- SZP
- Destination
- SMO · Santa Monica, CA
- Airport
- SZP · Santa Paula, runway 22, 2,650 × 40 ft, asphalt
- Registration
- N31512
- Reported as
- Aerotek Pitts S-2A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2154
- Airframe hours
- 1,458
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-A1A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Manelski, Leigh F.
- Registered owner
- Keenan, Robert B
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 8, 1990 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- SZP
- Destination
- SZP
- Airport
- SZP · Santa Paula, runway 22, 2,650 × 40 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N2282T
- Age
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,786 total · 1,450 in this make and model · 1,786 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N31512
- Age
- 46
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 17,300 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.