Boykin Stephen Vance ROTORWAY E N496SB
16 October 2009 · Meiners Oaks, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 16 October 2009 at about 19:00 local time, a Boykin Stephen Vance ROTORWAY E registered N496SB, operated by Boykin Stephen V, was involved in an accident near Meiners Oaks, California, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 19:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Meiners Oaks, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.4497, -119.2753
- Aircraft
- Boykin Stephen Vance ROTORWAY E
- Registration
- N496SB
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Boykin Stephen V
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Meiners Oaks → San Luis Obispo
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR10CA023
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper preflight planning which resulted in a takeoff with a tailwind.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The private pilot reported that he completed an emergency off-airport landing, in mountainous terrain, to avoid poor weather and fog during a cross-country flight in the single engine helicopter. He reported that he sat in position for about forty minutes to burn off fuel and "…lighten the aircraft." The pilot then lifted off and repositioned the helicopter to a nearby dirt road. The pilot sat in position for an additional hour to "burn off as much fuel as I could to lighten the ship." The pilot departed a second time; however, during the takeoff the helicopter "didn't have enough lift" and subsequently settled and collided with the terrain. The pilot reported that he thought he was taking off into the wind, instead he took off with a tailwind. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tailboom assembly. No preimpact mechanical failures were reported.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2009 | Cessna 172P | Livermore, California, United States | Wollard Aviation Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Dec 2009 | Piper PA-38-112 | Ojai, California, United States | Aviation Pacific Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Fallbrook, California, United States | M.Y. Air Corp | No injuries | - |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Mooney M20E | Rio Linda, California, United States | David Michaud | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Nov 2009 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Torrance, California, United States | Smith Richard Charles | No injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2009 | Piper PA-24-260 | Santa Barbara, California, United States | Kris S Michel | No injuries | - |