- Date
- June 7, 1996, 16:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Clarita, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N40009Robinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960607013089A
- Case key
- 29466
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 abandon the pinnacle approach after encountering an excessive rate of descent.
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 was making a pinnacle approach to the leeward side of a ridge. As he approached his touchdown point his airspeed was slowing to just above effective translational lift (ETL) when the aircraft was caught in a downdraft. He attempted to maneuver the aircraft but was unable to stop his decent or redirect his forward movement. The aircraft undershot the approach and struck the side of the ridge. The pilot said he had performed a high reconnaissance orbit and had monitored ATIS surface winds.
Factual narrative
On June 7, 1996, about 1615 hours Pacific daylight time, a Robinson R22 Beta, N40009, collided with the terrain while on approach to an off-airport landing site in Santa Clarita, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the certificated private helicopter pilot and his passenger received minor injuries. The aircraft was being operated by Group III Aviation, Van Nuys, California, and had been rented by the pilot for a personal flight when the accident occurred. The flight originated in Van Nuys about 1500 on the afternoon of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot reported that he was making a pinnacle approach to the leeward side of a ridge in Pico Canyon. He was about 100 feet from touchdown with his airspeed slowing to 30 knots when the aircraft was caught in a downdraft that caused him to undershoot the approach. He attempted to maneuver the aircraft, but was unable to prevent the aircraft from striking the side of the ridge. After impact the aircraft rolled down the ridge and came to rest on its side.
Before the approach, the pilot said he had performed a high reconnaissance orbit at 200 feet above the pinnacle and had monitored surface winds on Van Nuys ATIS frequency. He reported no mechanical problems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40009
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1376
- Airframe hours
- 4,114
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Peter Lowery, doing business as Group 3 Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Dragonfly Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 31, 1996 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, 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
- 59
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 668 total · 173 in this make and model · 415 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VNY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.