Mcdonnell Douglas 369D accident near Santee, CA
On February 17, 1997, a Mcdonnell Douglas 369D (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Santee, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 17, 1997
- Place
- Santee, CA
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 369D · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 32.791°N, 116.961°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07417
NTSB summary
History of the Flight On February 16, 1997, about 1944 hours Pacific standard time, a McDonnell Douglas, 369D (MD 369), N5200Y, operated by the San Diego Sheriff's Department Aviation Division (ASTREA) collided with the terrain during a night takeoff from a field near Santee, California. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The pilot received serious injuries, and the observer was fatally injured. The flight was destined for Gillespie Field, El Cajon, California. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. At 1848, the ASTREA aircrew was at Gilliespie Field when they received a request from the Oceanside Police Department asking for assistance to search for a missing child. At 1851, the aircrew departed Gilliespie Field and headed north towards the search area. At 1901, the helicopter was over Escondido, California, when the aircrew received a radio transmission canceling their response to search for the missing child. The pilot reversed course and headed back towards Gilliespie Field. As the helicopter approached the airport, the aircrew noticed a campfire in the Sycamore Canyon Area located about 3.7 miles north of the airport. The aircrew elected to investigate the fire and descended into the canyon terminating the approach to an out-of-ground effect hover. The observer illuminated the campfire area with helicopter's searchlight. The aircrew determined the activity around the campfire was normal and did not make contact with the persons on the ground. During the investigation of the campfire, the pilot noticed a reflection in some nearby trees. The
Probable cause
Spatial disorientation and temporary visual impairment that led to a loss of aircraft control as result of difficulty to light adaptivity. Contributing was the crew coordination and inadequate night flight recurrency training.
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Browse: California · Mcdonnell Douglas aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
