A commercial pilot operating a helicopter for Inland Crop Dusters, Inc., had to make a forced landing near Shafter, California on January 22, 2010.

While maneuvering over a field, the pilot noticed a ”pop” and then a “yaw” from the helicopter. The pilot then immediately forced a hard landing in the field.

Further examination of the helicopter showed the main rotor blades contacted and severed the tail boom, as well as the engine was separated from its mounts.

A pilot narrowly escapes a helicopter crash in New York City, New York, when the helicopter he was flying was experiencing unusual vibration on January 18, 2010.

The pilot was on a cruise flight near Chelsea Pier, when he experienced the vibrations coming from the airframe, the anti-torque pedals, and cyclic.  He landed the helicopter at the West 30th Street Heliport (JRA).  The vibrations remained constant throughout the flight and increased upon landing as the rotor’s rpms’ were decreasing.

Upon successful landing of the helicopter, representatives of Liberty Helicopter and the FAA inspected the helicopter for damage. Inspection revealed a hole in the right side of the tail boom and the tail cone was also damaged. Also found was the pitch change link of one tail rotor blade which was not connected to the blade control horn. The FAA retained the tail rotor for further examination.

Maintenance records on January 11, 2010, revealed the tail rotor pitch change spider bearing was taken off and replaced because it is a life limited item.

A Eurocopter AS350 B3 almost crashed with 3 people aboard, during an attempted medical transfer on January 17, 2010 in Reno, Nevada.

The pilot of the medical evacuation helicopter was preparing to take off to retrieve and transport a patient from Humboldt General Hospital in Nevada, to Renown Regional Medical Center, when he heard a loud bang and the helicopter experienced a partial loss in power. The pilot was beginning his transition to forward flight when the incident occurred, which slammed the helicopter against the helicopter pad. The pilot and two medical crew members sustained no injuries.  The helicopter was substantially damaged.

One of Mexico’s leading entrepreneurs, Moises Saba Masri, and his wife and son have been killed in a helicopter crash about 35 miles west of Mexico City.

The helicopter crashed in what is believed to have been a very heavy fog. The pilot, Armando Fernandez, also died in the crash.

Witnesses report seeing the helicopter flying very low, clipping a multi-story house, then plunging into a ravine where it crashed, exploded, killing everyone on board.

Moises Saba Masri was a member of one of Mexico’s wealthiest families. Mr. Masri was a director of many business and had most of his fortune in real estate.

A second helicopter crashed in less than two weeks in Boise, Idaho.
The helicopter was carrying two biologists who were reportedly studying elk, wolves, and moose as a part of wolf predation study, when the helicopter they were riding in had engine problems and crashed.

Two of the men walked away from the helicopter crash with minor injuries, while the the pilot suffered from back injuries and a broken arm. Since the helicopter crashed in a remote location, the pilot had to be med-evaced in an alternate helicopter to the hospital for treatment.

The helicopter crash comes after another one approximately two weeks ago where four people were killed.

NTSB Identification: WPR10GA097
14 CFR Public Use
Accident occurred Tuesday, January 05, 2010 in Auberry, CA
Aircraft: BELL 206B, registration: N5016U
Injuries: 4 Fatal.

On January 5, 2010, at 1209 Pacific standard time, a Bell 206B, N5016U, collided with power lines near Auberry, California. The helicopter was registered to Palm Springs Aviation, Inc., and operated by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) as a public-use, deer surveying flight. The certificated commercial pilot and three passengers were killed. The helicopter was destroyed by post crash fire. The local flight departed Trimmer Heliport, Trimmer, California, at 1006. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site, and a company flight plan had been filed.

Helicopter Crash Details

At the time of the accident two witnesses, who were law enforcement officers for the United States Forest Service, were located on a north facing ridge at the confluence of Willow Creek and the San Joaquin River. Both officers observed the helicopter emerge from a valley to the north, and fly southbound along Willow Creek directly towards their location. The valley was spanned from the east to west by power transmission lines. The officers reported that the helicopter continued through the valley, in straight and level flight, on a trajectory towards the power lines. As the helicopter came within the immediate vicinity of the lines it, ‘reared back’ and then began an immediate descent, colliding with the ground. The officers reported that prior to the accident the helicopter was not emitting smoke, and did not appear to be in distress. The officers stated that the weather at the time of the accident was clear, with a few high scattered clouds, and light winds out of the north.

The main wreckage came to rest on the valley floor of Willow Creek, at an approximate elevation of 1,200 feet mean sea level (msl). The elevation of the valley peaks directly to the east and west of the site was about 2,500 feet msl. The bases of the power line towers were at an approximate elevation of 1,600 feet msl, and separated by a span of 2,900 feet. The lines consisted of three parallel power transmission lines, which hung between the towers about 3/4 of the distance from their bases. The tops of the towers were spanned by two parallel, ‘static’ ground lines. Examination of the static line to the south revealed that it had severed approximately midspan, and had become entangled in the remaining lines.

The main wreckage, which consisted of the cabin, tailboom, and tail rotor, came to rest inverted at an approximate elevation of 1,200 msl, 100 feet south of the power lines’ midspan point. The entire cabin area was fire consumed. The main transmission and mast were located about 300 feet north of the main wreckage. The main rotor assembly, consisting of the entire ‘red’ blade, hub, and inboard section of the ‘white’ blade, came to rest on the adjacent banks of Willow Creek, about 90 feet northwest of the main wreckage. A 4-foot-long outboard section of the white main rotor blade was located 1,100 feet south of the main rotor assembly.

Examination of the main rotor blades revealed leading edge gouges, with abrasion marks consistent in appearance with the severed static line. The helicopter was equipped with a wire strike protection system. Examination of the systems cutting surfaces revealed them to be sharp and free of scratches, gouges, and abrasions. All major sections of the helicopter were accounted for at the accident site.

This is the preliminary NTSB report for the Bell 206B Helicopter Crash in Auberry, California that killed four on January 05, 2010.