LAX05FA056

The pilot's misjudged lateral distance from a mountainside and failure to maintain an adequate clearance from terrain and obstacles while performing a low altitude filming maneuver.

The helicopter's main rotor blades impacted a mountainside while the pilot's right rear seated cameraman was filming an automobile for a television commercial. During the impact sequence, the tips of the main rotor blades were severed, and then the helicopter crashed onto the underlying state highway. Blade tip fragments were found on the mountainside, about 246 feet from where the main wreckage came to rest against the highway's guardrail. The pilot indicated that while following the film director's requested route he maneuvered at a low altitude over the two-lane highway that was bordered on one side by a drop-off and a rising cliff like face on the other side. While proceeding in an easterly direction, the road curved to the south with the upsloping mountain side located adjacent to the south side of the road. The cameraman's video camera was recovered from the wreckage, and the Safety Board's Vehicle Recorder Division in Washington, D.C. extracted the videotape. The audio and video images clearly showed the helicopter's maneuvering during the seconds leading up to and including the accident, in addition to the pilot's broadcast instructions to the car's driver to proceed "faster if you can." The pilot was flying from the right seat and the helicopter was about 20 feet above the highway.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 30, 2004, about 1143 Pacific standard time, a Eurocopter AS350BA, N410JC, impacted a mountainside and crashed onto a road. The accident occurred while the pilot was maneuvering during a low altitude aerial photography filming operation. The accident occurred about 1.8 nautical miles (nm) west of Panamint Springs, California, in the Death Valley National Park. The helicopter was destroyed and the airline transport certificated pilot was seriously injured. There were two passengers on board, a director and a cameraman. The director was seriously injured, and the cameraman was fatally injured. The helicopter was owned and operated by Jetcopters, Inc., Van Nuys, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorized waiver from compliance with sections of the minimum safe altitude provisions of 14 CFR Part 119. The flight originated from Panamint Springs about 1100. The film crew's director, who was located in the front, left seat of the helicopter, reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that during the flight she had requested the pilot maneuver his helicopter into a position that would allow the cameraman to film a prototype automobile for a commercial. After the initial filming operation was completed, the pilot landed in Panamint Springs to allow the cameraman to change lenses. The accident occurred during the subsequent filming operation. The driver of the prototype car reported that the purpose of the aerial flight was to make a commercial for the car's manufacturer. The driver stated that he had previously worked with the helicopter pilot, and he was familiar with the requirements of the photo mission. The driver also stated that, during the photo shoot, he had communicated with the pilot using a two-way radio. The pilot directed him to start, stop, turn around, et cetera. Following the established protocol, during the photo shoot the highway was blocked off by law enforcement officers. Only personnel related to the photo mission were allowed inside the cordoned off area. The accident occurred during the next to the final shoot. The car's driver reported that the aerial cameraman had previously filmed him while he was driving in a westerly direction on the outside lane of the two-lane highway. (The outside lane was located adjacent to the cliff.) Then, the pilot instructed the driver to reverse course and proceed in an easterly direction over the inside lane. (The inside lane was adjacent to the upsloping mountainside.) There were no shoulders on either side of the highway in the vicinity of the accident site. The driver further reported that, initially, the helicopter was following his car, which was proceeding in an easterly direction, while the helicopter was flying over the valley (northwest of the car). Then, the helicopter moved closer to the car. At one point the car passed directly beneath the helicopter. At this time, the car was traveling between an estimated 45 to 50 miles per hour. The driver reported that just before the accident he entered a portion of the road that curved to the right, in a clockwise direction, and he remained in his lane, which was next to the mountainside. The driver lost visual contact with the helicopter. Seconds later, the driver heard the sound of an impact. The driver called the pilot on his radio, but no response was received. The driver reversed his course and proceeded back toward the curve in the road whereupon he observed the downed helicopter. A California Highway Patrol officer, who was providing security for the film company, reported that she was trailing the car in an easterly direction. The car went around a bend in the road and she did not observe it. Upon arriving in the same area of the highway, the officer observed rocks and debris on the road, mist in the air, and the sound of particles impacting her patrol car. Seconds later, as the officer rounded the bend in the highway, she observed the downed helicopter. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot was the owner of Jetcopters, Inc. He held an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multiengine land rating. He had commercial pilot privileges for airplane single engine land and rotorcraft-helicopter. The pilot also held a certified flight instructor (CFI) certificate for single and multiengine airplanes, and rotorcraft-helicopter. The CFI certificate had expired in 2001. The pilot reported that his total flight time was over 8,000 hours, of which over 4,000 hours were in rotorcraft. The pilot had over 300 hours of flight time in the accident model of helicopter. During the 90-day and 30-day period immediately preceding the accident, the pilot had flown a total of 93 and 30 hours, respectively. During this period, 68 and 27 hours had been flown in the accident model of helicopter. The pilot successfully completed a FAR 135 airman competency/proficiency check flight with an FAA inspector in the accident helicopter on March 9, 2004. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION In 1998 the FAA issued a normal category, standard, airworthiness certificate to the Eurocopter AS350BA, serial number 2130. A Tyler Helicopter Camera Mount had been installed for the cameraman's use during the accident flight. The mount provided a gyro-stabilized platform for the attached camera. Under the Safety Board investigator's supervision, the mounting attachment hardware in the helicopter was examined with representatives from Tyler Camera Systems. The camera mount assembly was found attached pursuant to its manufacturer's specifications, according to the representative. The helicopter's height is about 10.3 feet. The pilot/operator reported that the helicopter was maintained pursuant to FAA requirements and Eurocopter's maintenance program. The pilot/operator held an air carrier operating certificate for on-demand air taxi operations. A review of the maintenance records did not reveal evidence of unresolved/open maintenance items pertinent to the accident flight. The pilot reported he believed the helicopter was airworthy. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The closest aviation weather observation station to the accident site is located at China Lake NASW, elevation 2,283 feet mean sea level. China Lake (KNID) is about 40 nm south of the accident site. In pertinent part, at 1056, KNID reported its surface wind was calm, and the visibility was 65 miles. Few clouds were observed at 18,000 and 21,000 feet. Scattered clouds were observed at 24,000 feet. The temperature and dew point were 6 and minus 17 degrees Celsius, respectively. The barometric pressure was 30.38 inches of mercury. At 1356, KNID reported its surface wind was variable at 3 knots. The visibility and cloud condition remained unchanged. The temperature and dew point were 9 and minus 17 degrees Celsius, respectively. The barometric pressure decreased to 30.28 inches of mercury. The film director stated that, at the time of the accident, the weather conditions were excellent. The helicopter ride was not bumpy, and the visibility was unrestricted. The officer, who arrived at the accident site seconds after the mishap, indicated that the wind was calm upon her arrival. The air temperature was about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The visibility was unrestricted. The automobile driver, who arrived at the accident site about 1 minute after the crash, estimated that the wind was light and variable. He stated that, occasionally thereafter, there were gusts to 10 or 15 knots, and dust would blow up into the air. The visibility was unrestricted. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The accident occurred about 1.8 nautical miles (nm) west (267 degrees, magnetic) of Panamint Springs. The initial poi