ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 351608
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| Date: | Friday 9 February 2024 |
| Time: | 22:08 |
| Type: |  Eurocopter EC 130B4 |
| Owner/operator: | Orbic Air LLC |
| Registration: | N130CZ |
| MSN: | 4060 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Engine model: | Turbomeca Arriel 2B1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Halloran Springs, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Palm Springs International Airport, CA (PSP/KPSP) |
| Boulder City Municipal Airport, NV (BLD/KBVU) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On February 9, 2024, about 2208 Pacific standard time, an Airbus Helicopters EC 130B4 helicopter, N130CZ, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Halloran Springs, California. The two pilots and four passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated by Orbic Air, LLC, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand flight.
According to automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) data and operator personnel, the flight departed the operator’s base at Bob Hope Airport, Burbank, California, at 1822, to reposition the helicopter for a charter passenger flight and arrived at the Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), Palm Springs, California, at 1907.
The accident flight departed PSP at 2045 under visual flight rules and flew a northwesterly heading for about 2 miles before following US Highway 111 to Interstate (I) 10 at altitudes varying between 2,500 - 3,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The helicopter continued along I-10, crossed over San Bernadino International Airport, San Bernadino, California, and then followed I-215 to I-15.
The helicopter followed I-15 toward the planned destination of Boulder City Municipal Airport (BVU), Boulder City, Nevada, climbed between 4,000 - 5,500 ft msl, then descended to about 3,500 ft msl near Barstow, California, where the ADS-B track data was lost about 2146, likely due to terrain interference. ADS-B data resumed at 2207 near the Halloran Springs/I-15 exit west of the accident location. The last ADS-B data points for the flight tracked east-southeast, gradually descended in altitude, and increased in ground speed. The accident site was located 0.31 miles east-southeast of the last data point at an elevation of about 3,360 ft msl.
According to law enforcement, several witnesses who were traveling in vehicles on I-15, called 911 to report observing a “fireball” to the south. The witnesses reported the weather conditions in the area were “not good” and raining with a snow mix. The accident site was located by law enforcement at 2346.
The wreckage was located in high mountainous desert and scrub brush covered terrain, and debris were scattered about 300 ft along a 120° magnetic heading from the initial impact point. The initial impact point, which was a 1.5 ft deep, 12 ft long and 10 ft wide ground crater, contained portions of the right landing gear skid, right skid step, cockpit wiring, and cabin floor structure. The right skid step protruded upward at a 45° angle at the most eastern edge of the ground crater. Immediately to the right of the crater was a ground divot consistent in the size and shape of the rotor head, with 2 main rotor blade impact marks extending from the divot.
All major helicopter components were identified at the accident site. The fuselage was fragmented, and the cockpit and cabin were destroyed. Some debris and vegetation displayed thermal damage. The flight control tubes and linkages leading up to the flight control servos were fragmented and continuity could not be verified. All three pitch control links were attached at the swashplate and blade pitch change horns. The main rotor blades were fragmented and broomstrawed, and the blade sleeves and tips were present.
The fenestron tail section with the tail fin and horizontal stabilizer separated from the forward part of the tail boom. All the fenestron blades remained in their hubs and the blade tips displayed chordwise scratche. The engine displayed rotational damage signatures and metal deposits consistent with powered operations at impact.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.abc7.com/amp/baker-helicopter-crash-san-bernardino-county/14408339/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/helicopter-crashes-california-6-people-onboard-rcna138224
https://news.sky.com/story/nigeria-bank-boss-killed-in-california-helicopter-crash-13069041
NTSB
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N130CZ
Location
Media:
An Airbus helicopter H130 departing from Palm Springs at 8:45 pm last night crashed . The tail number is N130CZ , the incident took place in the area of Halloran Springs and Northbound 15 freeway in Baker, CA. The airbus was last scene on radar at 9:49pm. Six souls perished . pic.twitter.com/1BgoYf8UvE
— Local_Informant01 (@LInformant01) February 10, 2024
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Feb-2024 15:52 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 10-Feb-2024 16:04 | nhofmann54 | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Embed code] |
| 10-Feb-2024 16:27 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 10-Feb-2024 17:44 | ASN | Updated [Time, Destination airport, Category] |
| 10-Feb-2024 20:12 | ASN | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 10-Feb-2024 21:13 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 11-Feb-2024 07:24 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Embed code] |
| 11-Feb-2024 07:41 | SANFan | Updated [Nature, Source, Embed code] |
| 11-Feb-2024 09:55 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 11-Feb-2024 11:02 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Feb-2024 04:40 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 15-Feb-2024 04:42 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 22-Feb-2024 19:25 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
| 22-Feb-2024 19:26 | Captain Adam | Updated [[Time, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]] |
| 22-Feb-2024 19:26 | Captain Adam | Updated [[[Time, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]]] |
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