Bell 206B accident near Acton, CA
On February 10, 2013, a Bell 206B (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Acton, CA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 10, 2013
- Place
- Acton, CA
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.438°N, 118.230°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130210X93918
Official records · WPR13FA119
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 10, 2013, about 0330 Pacific standard time, a Bell Helicopter 206B JetRanger, N59518, collided with terrain shortly after departing from a landing zone (LZ) on a movie ranch near Acton, California. Orbic Air, LLC was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot and two passengers (an actor and a camera-operator) sustained fatal injuries; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The local flight departed the LZ about one minute prior to the accident for the purpose of shooting an aerial video sequence. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The helicopter was being used for the filming of a reality television show. The pilot and several members of the production crew had scouted the movie ranch location a few weeks prior, at which time they discussed the helicopter's maneuver possibilities, equipment needed, and filming planning. Following that meeting, the pilot filed a Plan of Action (POA) waiver with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the filming day was scheduled for the evening of February 9th. The tentative plan scripted for the production shoot called for an actor to drop a backpack to the ground while the helicopter was in a hover, enabling the cameras to film the airborne actor, the backpack receiver on the ground, and the helicopter executing the mission. There were two shots needed of the backpack being dropped, to be done by two different actors, at two separate locations, both of which were at the
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to conduct a flight in dark night conditions with an illuminated cockpit light that degraded his visibility and his ability to identify and arrest the helicopter's descent while maneuvering, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
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Browse: California · Bell 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.
