ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 294387
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| Date: | Friday 15 October 2004 |
| Time: | 01:15 LT |
| Type: |  Hughes OH-6A |
| Owner/operator: | Us Border Patrol |
| Registration: | N6639R |
| MSN: | 66-7874 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11304 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Jacumba, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Imperial County Airport, CA (IPL/KIPL) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The public-use law enforcement helicopter collided with rocks and terrain while performing low altitude maneuvers in mountainous terrain on a dark night. The pilot maneuvered the helicopter in a turning descent, in an effort to provide the observer with a better view of the area. As he turned the helicopter, he heard a loud bang, followed by a vibration, at which point he opted to land. After egressing the helicopter, he discovered that approximately 3 inches of each tail rotor blade were missing. Days later, while inspecting the accident scene, he also found red and white paint transfers on a rock, located about 100 yards uphill from the landing site; he noted that the tail rotor blades were painted red and white. He thought that his complacency and eagerness to finish the flight might have contributed to him misjudging the maneuver. He reported no mechanical malfunctions of failures with the helicopter prior to impact.
Probable Cause: the pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the mountainous terrain, which resulted in the helicopter's tail rotor blades impacting rocks. A factor in the accident was the pilot's complacency.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX05TA008
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Oct-2022 17:35 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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