Sunday, September 16, 2018

Schweizer 369C-1, registered to Charlie Papa LLC and operated by Group 3 Aviation Inc, N2128T: Accident occurred September 15, 2018 in Granada Hills, California

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Van Nuys, California

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

https://registry.faa.gov/N2128T

Location: Granada Hills, CA
Accident Number: WPR18LA265
Date & Time: 09/15/2018, 1233 PDT
Registration: N2128T
Aircraft: Schweizer 300CBi 269C1
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under:  Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional 

On September 15, 2018, about 1233 Pacific daylight time, a Schweizer 300CBi helicopter, N2128T, sustained substantial damage when it landed hard following a partial power landing on a golf course in Granada Hills, California. The flight instructor and the student pilot were uninjured. The helicopter was registered to Charlie Papa, LLC., and operated by Group 3 Aviation, Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Van Nuys Airport (VNY), Van Nuys, California, about 1215 and was destined for the Piru, California area.

The flight instructor reported that he was about to request a frequency change shortly after departing VNY, when he experienced a significant and abrupt change in engine sound and power loss. Currently, he was about 600 ft above ground level (agl). The flight instructor initiated a partial power landing to a golf course fairway adjacent to his location. During the descent the flight instructor contacted the VNY control tower to notify of the forced landing. The flight instructor decided to perform the partial power landing instead of an autorotation due to the partial power available at the time. About 20 ft agl, the flight instructor flared the helicopter prior to the hard landing on the fairway. The helicopter remained upright on the fairway during the landing.

Initial examination of the accident site by photos sent by first responders to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), revealed substantial damage to the tailboom and cabin structure.

The helicopter was manufactured in 2009 and was equipped with a Lycoming HIO-360 engine (Serial #RL-35157-51E) series engine. The helicopter was registered to Charlie Papa, LLC., in 2009.

A follow-up examination of the recovered airframe and engine was conducted by the NTSB IIC and Federal Aviation Administration inspectors. During the engine examination, the no. 1 cylinder did not have compression during a compression test. A boroscope examination of the no. 1 cylinder combustion chamber revealed the piston head and combustion chamber exhibited normal deposits. The exhaust valve head showed thermal discoloration in three areas consistent with combustion blowby. Cracking was visible on the valve head near the edge and a small amount of missing material from the outer edges of the valve head. The no. 4 cylinder did not have compression during a compression test. A boroscope examination of the no. 4 cylinder combustion chamber revealed the piston head and combustion chamber revealed mechanical damage to their surface areas. The exhaust valve head was missing about 1/3 of its material.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Schweizer 300CBi
Registration: N2128T
Model/Series: 269C1
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Group 3 Aviation, Inc
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot School (141)
Operator Does Business As:
Operator Designator Code: G31A

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KWHP, 1003 ft msl
Observation Time: 1955 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 4 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 30°C / 3°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots / , 120°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.89 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Van Nuys, CA (KVNY)
Destination:  Piru, CA

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude:  34.285833, -118.494444 (est)


A civilian helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing at a Granada Hills golf course after the aircraft lost power Saturday afternoon.

At 12:33 p.m. the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to calls from nearby residents of a “helicopter down” at the Knollwood Golf Course at 12040 Balboa Boulevard, fire department spokesman Brian Humphrey said.

The fire department dispatched 40 personnel since officials were unsure about how large the helicopter was and how many people were involved.

Fire officials determined there were two people on board and were both uninjured. The incident was reported to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Before alerting aviation officials, fire officials had to confirm the helicopter was not a movie prop or part of a movie set for filming, which is common in the area, Humphrey said.

The helicopter, which belongs to a Van Nuys aviation school, Group 3 Aviation, was being used for a training exercise when the aircraft lost power and was forced to make the emergency landing, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The helicopter’s flight began at Van Nuys Airport, about six miles south of the golf course, a statement from Group 3 Aviation said.

Wade Berzas, the general manager of the golf course, said his facility was busy during the incident as about 200 people were playing golf, and 200 others were attending a banquet at the nearby clubhouse.

No one was hurt Saturday when a helicopter made a hard landing on Knollwood Golf Course, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. (Photo by Rick McClure)Berzas said the helicopter remained on the golf course Saturday afternoon as the aviation school was determining how to transport it off the property. He said his golf course is in the flight path of the Van Nuys Airport, but has never seen an incident like this occur.

“When it happened, I said, ‘Really?’ And I texted my friend saying I’ve never seen anything like this throughout my whole career,” said Berzas, who has been working at golf courses for more than 25 years.

Humphrey said the Van Nuys Airport is known as one of the busiest general use airports in the world.

“The Los Angeles basin is highly congested with aircraft with all types,” Humphrey said.

“We are in touch with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration to gather all the facts of the helicopter incident. We cannot speculate or discuss details as we go through the steps with the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration,” Claudia Herrera, the president of Group Aviation 3, said in a statement. “We are in the process of gathering additional information regarding this incident and will fully cooperate in this process.”

The helicopter was a Schweizer 369C-1 that “sustained substantial damage during emergency landing,” Allen Kenitzer of the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.dailynews.com





GRANADA  HILLS (CBSLA) – No one was hurt after a small helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing on a golf course in Granada Hills.

At around 12:30 p.m., the Schweizer 369C-1 landed on the fifth hole of the Knollwood Country Club and Golf Course, located at 12040 Balboa Blvd., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

There was no fire.

The occupants were able to get out of the helicopter on their own prior to the arrival of firefighters, LAFD reports.

The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a request for information.

Witnesses told CBS2’s Greg Mills the chopper made a hard landing. Evidence of the hard landing? Several pieces of the chopper strewn about near the main cabin.

Richard Pak and Roger Ames were golfing when they saw the craft come down at the fifh hole.

“We drove through the tunnel and all of a sudden, we see a helicopter with a missing tail rotor,” says Pak.

“I think the student [passenger] was very grateful to be okay. He applauded the pilot and said he kept his cool and got them down safely,” said witness Carole Kunkel.

Her husband said the pilot told her he developed engine trouble over Balboa — he knew the area and was about to aim for the golf course.

A lot of homes dot the course and the crash was witnessed by people in their backyards.

“Our gardener was actually out here at the time and he narrowly missed some shrapnel,” said Ara Donovan, “There’s some shrapnel in our backyard.”

Story and video ➤ https://losangeles.cbslocal.com

No comments:

Post a Comment