ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 358934
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| Date: | Wednesday 31 May 1995 |
| Time: | 23:00 LT |
| Type: |  Eurocopter AS-355F1 |
| Owner/operator: | Roger's Helicopters, Inc. |
| Registration: | N5871D |
| MSN: | 5038 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1981 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3943 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison250-C20F |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Lost Hills, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Bakersfield, CA (KBFL) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
ON A DARK MOONLESS NIGHT, THE FLIGHT WAS GOING TO A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA WITHOUT GROUND REFERENCE LIGHTS TO PICKUP A MEDICAL EVACUATION PATIENT. THE RESPONDING FIRE DEPARTMENT TRUCKS PICKED A LANDING SITE AND ILLUMINATED THE AREA WITH TWO FIRE TRUCKS PARKED ADJACENT TO THE INTENDED LANDING SPOT. THE PILOT SAID HE MADE A HIGH RECONNISANACE AND THEN STARTED HIS APPROACH FROM 300 FEET. HE SAID HE BECAME SPATIALLY DISORIENTED AND LOST VISUAL REFERENCE WITH THE GROUND WHILE LOOKING AT HIS INSTRUMENTS TO CORRECT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT AND LOW AIRSPEED SITUATION. THE HELICOPTER'S NOSE PITCHED DOWN, BUT THE PILOT STABILIZED THE AIRCRAFT JUST BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN HARD. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED INTO THE AIR ABOUT 20-30 FEET, ROLLED TO THE LEFT IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT, AND THEN COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE HELICOPTER SPUN AND ROLLED OVER AND CAME TO REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS.
Probable Cause: the pilot's in-flight loss of control and failure to maintain a proper descent rate due to spatial disorientation and lack of visual cues during a dark, night approach to a unimproved landing zone, and his failure to initiate a go-around when he first lost visual reference with the ground. Factor's in the accident are the dark night lighting conditions and lack of suitable reference lights at the landing zone.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX95LA200
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Mar-2024 19:48 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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