- Date
- March 8, 2009, 08:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N234AHEurocopter AS350BA
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 73468
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 misjudged speed and altitude, which resulted in an undershoot of the landing zone.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The helicopter pilot said that he thought that the approach to the helipad seemed and felt normal, but in retrospect was flat. A witness thought that the approach was flat and fast. He indicated that the helicopter was in a nose-high attitude when the tail rotor hit the ground between rocks at the waterline and the edge of the pad. The pilot felt a jolt followed by a shutter. Because of the tail rotor damage, the helicopter yawed out of control to the left. It rotated 360 degrees as the pilot lowered the collective. Once completely on the ground, he pulled the fuel flow control lever out of the flight gate, pulled the emergency fuel shutoff control, and powered everything down while applying the main rotor brake.
Factual narrative
The pilot said he thought that the approach to the helipad seemed and felt normal, but in retrospect was flat. A witness on a passing ship thought that the approach was flat and fast. He indicated that the helicopter was in a nose high attitude when the tail rotor hit the ground between rocks at the waterline and the edge of the pad. The pilot felt a jolt followed by a shutter. Because of the tail rotor damage, the helicopter yawed out of control to the left. It rotated 360 degrees as the pilot lowered the collective. Once completely on the ground, he pulled the fuel flow control lever (FFC) out of the flight gate, pulled the emergency fuel shutoff control, and powered everything down while applying the main rotor brake.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N234AH
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS350BA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2489
- Airframe hours
- 8,130
- Engine
- Turbomeca Ariel 1D1, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Island Express Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Island Express Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 18, 2009 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Destination
- Long Beach, CA
- Airport
- None · Queensway Heliport, runway 01, 60 × 60 ft, concrete
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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,578 total · 182 in this make and model · 1,509 as pilot in command · 96 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KLGB, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 6, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 706 KB in all.