History of Flight
On May 24, 2008, at 0920 Pacific daylight time, an Aerospatiale AS-350-D helicopter, N67GE, operated by Island Express Helicopters, Inc., impacted terrain while landing at Two Harbors, Avalon, on Santa Catalina Island, California. The flight was a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand commercial flight. It departed from the Queensway Bay Heliport, Long Beach, California, at 0907. The commercial pilot, a company employee, and one passenger were killed, and three passengers were seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed by impact damage and fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
According to the operator, the purpose was to transport passengers from Long Beach to Two Harbors. The pilot reported via radio at 0914 that they were mid-channel and at 0919 that they were on final to land.
Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter approaching from the north about 300 feet above ground level. Several witnesses heard a “pop” sound, followed by flames from the back of the engine. The helicopter then descended and collided with the ground. A surviving passenger reported that after the pop, the pilot said he would “autorotate.”
The helicopter impacted sloped, grassy terrain on a heading of southwest. The main wreckage came to rest adjacent to power transmission lines, but there was no evidence of contact with them. The debris field was about 200 feet long, approximately 0.2 miles from the intended landing site.
Damage to Helicopter
The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. Ground vegetation was damaged by the fire, but adjacent structures and power transmission lines were not damaged.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 33, held a commercial pilot certificate with rotorcraft and instrument helicopter ratings, and a flight instructor certificate with a rotorcraft rating. His most recent second-class medical certificate was issued November 29, 2007, with no limitations. He had accumulated 5,692 total flight hours, including 3,942 hours in AS350 series helicopters. He was hired in January 2003 and completed recurrent training in April 2008. The accident date was his 14th consecutive duty day; his duty day began at 0826, and the accident flight was his first of the day.
Aircraft Information
The accident helicopter was an Aerospatiale AS-350-D (originally an AS-350-B), powered by a single Honeywell LTS101-600A-3 engine. It had a three-blade main rotor and a two-blade tail rotor. Maximum takeoff power was 615 horsepower. The helicopter had a seating capacity of six passengers plus a pilot. The maximum gross takeoff weight was 4,300 pounds. At departure, the gross weight was 4,260 pounds, within limits. The helicopter had accrued 9,687 total hours; its most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on May 19, 2008.
Meteorological Information
At 0928, weather at Catalina Airport, about 5 miles southeast, included winds from 080 degrees at 3 knots, thin broken clouds at 700 feet, broken clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,000 feet, visibility 10 miles, light rain, temperature 9°C, dew point 8°C, altimeter 29.96 inches of mercury. The operator’s chief pilot, flying nearby, reported visibility towards the west end of the island was unrestricted with cloud bases broken at about 3,500 to 4,000 feet msl.
Flight Recorders
The helicopter was not equipped with a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder, and was not required to be.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was about 0.2 miles from the intended landing site on sloping terrain. The debris field was 200 feet long from northeast to southwest. The first identified point of contact was a ground scar consistent with tail stinger contact, followed by a scar consistent with a tail rotor blade strike. The main wreckage came to rest within a large burn area. The engine assembly was found within the burn area. Examination revealed localized damage to four consecutive power turbine blades, with two blades fractured transversely. The tail rotor assembly remained attached but severely thermally damaged.
Medical and Pathological Information
Toxicological testing on the pilot was negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and tested drugs. An autopsy attributed the pilot’s cause of death to blunt force trauma. Autopsies of two rear-seat passengers attributed their cause of death to thermal injuries.
Survival Aspects
The helicopter was equipped with lap belts for passengers and a combination lap belt/shoulder harness for the pilot. According to first responders, the deceased rear-seat passengers were located within the helicopter. The pilot exited with help from bystanders and then collapsed. The remaining passengers exited with help.
Tests and Research
Examination of the engine at Honeywell’s facility revealed fatigue cracking on power turbine blade No. 21 emanating from a casting pin. Additional fatigue cracks were found on blades Nos. 17 and 23. Metallographic examination indicated no exposure to temperatures greater than 1,600°F. The power turbine rotor assembly is life limited at 11,000 cycles.
Organizational and Management Information
Island Express Helicopters Inc., based in Long Beach, was founded in 1982. It operated on-demand charters, sightseeing flights, and offshore oil platform servicing. The company had 19 employees, including 4 pilots and 3 mechanics, and operated 4 helicopters.