Bell UH 1H accident near Van Nuys, California, January 12, 2018
On January 12, 2018 at about 5:15 pm local time, a 1965 Bell UH 1H (helicopter), registered N205KS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Van Nuys, California (Van Nuys airport). It was a positioning flight under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a stationary helicopter during landing. Contributing to the accident was the ground crew’s failure to ensure that the helicopter would clear the stationary helicopter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 12, 2018 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Van Nuys, California · Van Nuys · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell UH 1H NO SERIES, built 1965 · all UH 1Hs on the register
- Registration
- N205KS · registry record · serial SN67-17328
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while hovering the helicopter to park between three stationary helicopters, the ground crew gave him the signal for a 180° "pedal turn." As the helicopter was about to touch down, he felt a shudder in the airframe. He then immediately rolled the throttle closed and completed an emergency shutdown. Postaccident examination revealed that the tail rotor blades struck the main blades of a stationary helicopter, which likely caused the shudder felt by the pilot. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor and main rotor systems. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (hover)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Expectation/assumption › Ground crew
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Issuing instructions › Ground crew
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 426 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 287 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 22, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,933.6 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 27, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 9,500 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honeywell T53-703 (turboshaft); 1,993 hours total
- Operator: Santa Barbara County Air Support Unit
The flight
- Departed from: GOLF Santa Barbara CA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: VNY Van Nuys CA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from KVNY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on March 20, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of Operator) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N205KS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.