Robinson R44 II N915BW

Summary

On 6 June 2013 at about 21:17 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N915BW, operated by Southern California Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Los Angeles, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 June 2013 at 21:17

Classification

Accident

Location

Los Angeles, California, United States

Coordinates

34.1247, -118.2911

Aircraft

Robinson R44 II

Registration

N915BW

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2006

Engines

1

Operator

Southern California Helicopters

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

La Verne → La Verne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13FA264

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s loss of helicopter control following a precautionary landing, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the flight, the pilot reported observing the main rotor gearbox chip warning light illuminate. In accordance with the helicopter's operating handbook, he performed an immediate precautionary landing. As he approached his intended landing spot, adjacent to a park trail, he saw people on the ground, so he diverted to a small clearing on a pinnacle at the end of another trail. After landing on the pinnacle and before he had a chance to fully lower the collective control, he felt the helicopter slip. He then raised the collective control, and the helicopter immediately spun to the right and rolled over. Ground scars and airframe damage indicated that, as the pilot attempted to reposition the helicopter, it most likely experienced a dynamic rollover due to the left landing skid becoming lodged against a ridge. Postaccident examination of the airframe and drive train revealed no preimpact malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the main rotor gearbox and its associated chip detector did not reveal the presence of any debris or particles that could have triggered the detector and no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. However, the gearbox case was breached during the accident sequence, which liberated most of the oil and possibly any chips that might have been in the gearbox; therefore, it could not be determined what triggered the detector.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.