- Date
- September 21, 1996, 16:16 local (23:16 UTC)
- Place
- Van Nuys, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N909CMBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960921031379A
- Case key
- 29566
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 improper in-flight planning/decision to turn right instead of left.
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 approaching the helipad for a landing on a heading of 160 degrees. He brought the helicopter to a stationary hover about 5 feet agl. The wind was 140 degrees at 10 knots. The pilot decided to do a pedal turn to the right to a heading of 250 degrees. Once the turn was initiated, he could not stop the turn with full left pedal. He attempted to fly out of it into the wind, but without success. He reduced power and attempted a landing while rotating to the right. The helicopter landed hard on the left skid and rolled over.
Factual narrative
On September 21, 1996, at 1616 hours Pacific daylight time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N909CM, operated by Jetcopters Inc. of Van Nuys, California, was substantially damaged during landing at Van Nuys. Neither the pilot nor the two passengers were injured. The traffic watch helicopter was returning to the base from an assignment at the time of the accident. The flight originated at Van Nuys at 1445.
The pilot reported to FAA inspectors that he was approaching the helipad for landing on a heading of 160 degrees. The pilot brought the helicopter to a stationary hover about 5 feet agl. The wind was 140 degrees at 10 knots. The pilot decided to do a pedal turn to the right to a heading of 250 degrees. Once the right turn was initiated, the pilot could not stop the turn with full left pedal. The pilot attempted to fly out of it into the wind without success. He then reduced power and attempted a landing while rotating to the right. The helicopter landed hard on the left skid and rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N909CM
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2073
- Airframe hours
- 10,681
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20J, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jetcopters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 1996 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- VNY
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,570 total · 1,465 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 52 °F
- 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.