ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 178780
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| Date: | Sunday 16 August 2015 |
| Time: | 19:11 |
| Type: |  Bell 412 |
| Owner/operator: | Los Angeles Co Fire Department |
| Registration: | N412LA |
| MSN: | 33061 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1981 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8918 hours |
| Engine model: | P&W Canada PT6T-3BE |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near the Rio Hondo River, Montebello, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Los Angeles-Whiteman Airport, CA (WHP/KWHP) |
| Whittier, CA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
According to the pilot of the public use, multi-engine helicopter, he performed an autorotation and landing after exhausting the helicopter's fuel supply in flight. The pilot reported that while acting as the Helicopter Commander during a brush fire containment mission, the complexities involved with managing the fire increased and as a result, the pilot stated, "I failed to re-adjust my station time appropriately for my aircraft." He reported that both engines lost power and he executed an autorotation and touchdown onto down sloping terrain. Upon impact with the ground, the main rotor blades flexed down and severed the tail boom. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom, the main rotor and tail rotor blades, the main rotor drive system and the primary flight controls.
The pilot reported no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to appropriately monitor the helicopter's fuel supply, resulting in fuel exhaustion, loss of engine power, and an autorotation with a hard landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Aug-2015 11:35 | rotorspot | Added |
| 18-Aug-2015 18:42 | Aerossurance | Updated [Total occupants, Source, Narrative] |
| 31-Aug-2015 14:31 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 15-Nov-2015 23:59 | Aerossurance | Updated [Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 01-Dec-2017 15:07 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-May-2022 08:55 | Ron Averes | Updated [Operator] |
| 16-Nov-2022 09:24 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, Departure airport] |
| 30-May-2023 00:20 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Location, Departure airport]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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