- Date
- May 23, 2023, 22:10 local (May 24, 2023, 05:10 UTC)
- Place
- San Diego, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N791AMEurocopter AS 350 B3
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA, CBP
- FAA report
- 20230523011049A
- Case key
- 192242
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 maintain altitude during a hover taxi due to distraction resulting from the unanticipated activation of strobing lights while using night vision googles.
Findings · 4
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 pilot of the helicopter reported that he had completed an operational mission, during which he was wearing Night Vision Goggles (NVGs), and returned to the airport. While hover taxiing to parking using the NVGs, an aircraft approaching the airport to land triggered the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), causing the helicopter’s strobing “wig-wag” lights to activate and impact the pilot’s visibility. The pilot looked down to locate the light switch and removed his hand from the collective to deactivate the lights. The helicopter descended and contacted the ground before the pilot could stop the descent. The helicopter subsequently became airborne again and the pilot was able to regain control and continue hover taxiing to parking. Substantial damage to the tail boom was discovered after the flight. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N791AM
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350 B3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4335
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 11,500
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARRIEL 2B1, 747 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft - federal · Part 91
- Operator
- US Department Of Homeland Security
- Registered owner
- US Department Of Homeland Security
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- April 28, 2023 · 69 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- SDM · Brown Fld Muni, runway 26R, 7,972 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 20, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,900 total · 200 in this make and model · 560 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 30, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,388 total · 190 in this make and model · 914 as pilot in command · 56 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KSDM, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KSDM 240453Z AUTO 26006KT 10SM OVC014 14/12 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP140 T01440117
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.