ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37733
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 23 April 1996 |
| Time: | 16:00 LT |
| Type: |  Hughes 269C |
| Owner/operator: | Civic Helicopters |
| Registration: | N9579F |
| MSN: | 540311 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6001 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming HIO-360-D1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | San Diego, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | , CA (KMYF) |
| Carlsbad, CA (KCRQ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter was observed flying at low altitude and low airspeed. Witnesses heard the engine sputter before the helicopter lost control and landed hard in a residential area. Examination of the engine revealed evidence of two exhaust valves had stuck open due to contamination by products of combustion. The engine manufacturer publishes maintenance procedures to prevent such an occurrence that could result in a partial loss of power. The helicopter operator elected not to perform the recommended procedure. The pilot's shoulder harness failed, whereas the passenger's did not. The failure occurred in a worn area where the harness bends over the seat back. Both shoulder harnesses were not marked with the required data. The cloth data tags were missing. The history or manufacturer of the shoulder harnesses was not determined. The helicopter had an annual inspection about 6 months before the accident. Since the annual, a 100-hour and a 50-hour inspection had been accomplished. The inspections failed to detect the discrepancies with the shoulder harnesses. Toxicological testing revealed the presence in the blood of desalkylflurazepam, an active metabolite of flurazepam (Dalmane), commonly used to treat insomnia, and the presence in the urine of pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, ephrdrine, and salicylate, substances commonly found in over-the-counter cold medications.
Probable Cause: the decision of the pilot to fly at low altitude and low airspeed within a hazardous performance area published in the pilot operating handbook. Factors in the accident were tailwinds, lack of operator preventative maintenance impairing engine power, airworthiness of the restraint systems, and the pilot's use of prescription drugs that can impair human performance.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX96FA177
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Apr-2024 07:18 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation