Bell UH-1B N87701

Summary

On 23 July 1982 at about 09:20 local time, a Bell UH-1B registered N87701, operated by Western Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Valencia, California, United States. 9 people were on board and 6 had minor injuries. 3 people on the ground also died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

23 July 1982 at 09:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Valencia, California, United States

Nearest airport

Indian Dunes (4CA4)

Coordinates

34.4097, -118.5593

Aircraft

Bell UH-1B

Registration

N87701

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Western Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Valencia → Valencia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

LAX82AA274

6 people had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACFT BEING USED TO FILM MOVIE SCENE DEPICTING ATTACK OF VILLAGE TYPICAL OF VILLGES IN VIET NAM. ACFT WAS ABOUT 25 FT AGL & ABOVE LOCATION WHERE SPECIAL EFFECTS EXPLOSIVES WERE DETONATED. AS THE PLT TURNED ACFT FOR CAMERA COVERAGE, ACFT'STAIL SECTION WAS ENGULFED IN FIREBALL CREATED BY SPECIAL EFFECTS EXPLOSION. T/R ASSEMBLY SEPARATED & ACFT DESCENDED OUT OF CONTROL. M/R BLADE STRUCK 3 ACTORS ON GROUND. THE BOARD DETERMINED THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DETONATION OF A DEBRIS-LADEN SPECIAL EFFECTS EXPLOSION TOO NEAR THE ACFT. THE PROXIMITY OF THE ACFT TO THE EXPLOSIONS WAS DUE TO THE FAILURE TO ESTABLISH DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS & COORDINATION BETWEEN THE PILOT, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE ACFT OPERATION, & THE FILM DIRECTOR, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE FILMING OPERATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.