ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 291758
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| Date: | Sunday 1 October 2006 |
| Time: | 10:00 LT |
| Type: | Erickson S64E |
| Owner/operator: | U.S. Forest Service |
| Registration: | N189AC |
| MSN: | 641001 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1968 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5209 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney JFD12A-4A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Ojai, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Lockwood Heliba, CA |
| Ojai, CA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter snorkel snagged on a dip tank and the pilot-in-command (PIC) lost control of the helicopter during a retardant dropping mission. The tank and the snorkel screen fitting both contained 90-degree edges, which allowed them to catch on one another, once they came into contact. These abrupt edges may have increased the likelihood of a snagged condition during flight. The PIC was positioning the helicopter into a second tank and the snorkel became caught on the tank. The PIC applied power and shortly thereafter, the helicopter impacted the ground on its right side. Normal procedures following a caught snorkel are to slowly maneuver the helicopter until the snag becomes free. The PIC had reported 1,620 hours of pilot-in-command (PIC) time in helicopters on his application.
Probable Cause: The pilot-in-command's improper remedial action, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control. Contributing factors were the retardant tank and snorkel designs.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX07TA001
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Oct-2022 18:37 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 12-Nov-2022 01:40 | Ron Averes | Updated [Operator, Phase, Nature, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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