Hughes OH-6A N6639R

Summary

On 15 October 2004 at about 08:15 local time, a Hughes OH-6A registered N6639R, operated by US Border Patrol, was involved in an accident near Jacumba, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 October 2004 at 08:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Jacumba, California, United States

Nearest airport

Jacumba Airport (L78)

Coordinates

32.6161, -116.1650

Aircraft

Hughes OH-6A

Registration

N6639R

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

US Border Patrol

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Imperial → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX05TA008

Nobody was injured.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.