Bell/Tsirah 209AH-1FT accident near Palmdale, CA
On August 20, 1996, a Bell/Tsirah 209AH-1FT (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Palmdale, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 20, 1996
- Place
- Palmdale, CA
- Aircraft
- Bell/Tsirah 209AH-1FT · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.521°N, 118.080°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X06541
NTSB summary
History of Flight On August 20, 1996, at 1624 hours Pacific daylight time, the main rotor blades of an experimental certificated Bell/Tsirah 209AH-1FT helicopter, N777TZ, struck a rock outcropping and crashed near Palmdale, California. The pilots were conducting a local area visual flight rules filming flight. The helicopter, registered to Tsirah Corporation, Westlake Village, California, and operated by West Coast Helicopters, Van Nuys, California, was destroyed. The certificated airline transport first pilot sustained minor injuries; one ground person sustained serious injuries, and the certificated commercial second pilot sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the accident site about 1610. The helicopter was engaged in filming for a commercial. The director told Safety Board investigators that his producer contracted the operator to provide the helicopter for the filming sequence. He said that he discussed the flight with the pilot and that the pilot surveyed the flight path area on the ground before the flight. He said that the helicopter was to fly over and between two rock outcroppings and descend toward a moving ground vehicle. After the helicopter and vehicle departed the area, a series of buried pyrotechnics (a.k.a. squibs) were to be detonated. The director said that the helicopter made three flights. The first flight was an overview of the proposed flight path and was not filmed. On the first filming flight, the helicopter hovered south of the rock outcroppings. When the filming action started, the helicopte
Probable cause
the first pilot misjudged the distance from the rock outcropping. The pilot's ostentatious display was a factor in this accident.
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Browse: California
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
