- Date
- March 19, 1998, 17:40 local (Mar 20, 1998, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Clarita, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3186LBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980320003959A
- Case key
- 30147
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 failure of the pilot to maintain adequate clearance with the wires. Additional factors in this accident are the position of the sun at that time of the day, which made it difficult to see the wires, and the lack of markings or poles for that series of wires.
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 reported that he was making a normal approach to a dry riverbed on a southwesterly heading directly into the sun. He reported that 'moments before I hit the wires, I saw them and made an evasive maneuver to avoid them.' He then clipped the wire with the main rotor blades and as he attempted to turn away, he clipped the tail rotor. The pilot stated that he then flew the helicopter to the ground and made ground contact in a level attitude. The helicopter landed hard and rolled over onto its right side. The series of wires were at a measured height of 39 feet agl and spanned lengthwise approximately 1,200 feet between poles or other markings. The sun and moon position information for the time of the accident showed the sun's position to be at 4.6 degrees above the horizon. The sun's azimuth was at 252 degrees. Official sunset that evening was at 1808.
Factual narrative
On March 19, 1998, at 1740 hours Pacific standard time, a Bell 206B, N3186L, collided with a power line and crashed in a dry riverbed during an approach for landing in a field near Santa Clarita, California. The helicopter sustained substantial damage and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was operated by the Los Angeles City Fire Department as a public-use aircraft. The flight originated at the Van Nuys, California, airport at 1645.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was making a normal approach to the riverbed on a southwesterly heading directly into the sun. He reported that "moments before I hit the wires, I saw them and made an evasive maneuver to avoid them." He then clipped the wire with the main rotor blades and as he attempted to turn away, he clipped the tail rotor. The pilot stated that he then flew the helicopter to the ground and made ground contact in a level attitude. The helicopter landed hard and rolled over onto its right side.
The series of wires were at a measured height of 39 feet agl and spanned lengthwise approximately 1,200 feet between poles or other markings.
The sun and moon position information for the time of the accident showed the sun's position to be at 4.6 degrees above the horizon. The sun's azimuth was 252 degrees. Official sunset that evening was at 1808.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3186L
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3798
- Airframe hours
- 5,171
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20 J, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Los Angeles City Fire Dept.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 13, 1998 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- Newhall, 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
- 45
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 1,800 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VNY, 15 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.