Worldwide Aero Corp AEROS-40B accident near San Bernadino, California, June 28, 2000
On June 28, 2000 at about 3:05 pm local time, a Worldwide Aero Corp AEROS-40B (airship), registered N819AC, was involved in an accident near San Bernadino, California (San Bernadino airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 ground crew's diverted attention toward the landing airship while trying to catch a mooring rope, which resulted in their failure to detect an immenient collision with each other.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2000 · about 3:05 pm local time
- Place
- San Bernadino, California · San Bernadino · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Worldwide Aero Corp AEROS-40B
- Registration
- N819AC · registry record · serial 017
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The twin engine airship was landing, and there were two ground crew assigned to catch the mooring rope and assist with the blimp landing. As the blimp neared the landing area, one of the ground handlers caught the nose line and the other ground handler ran to assist the first ground handler, who was running with the nose mooring rope to slow the airship. Both of the ground handlers collided with one another during this process and the second one fell backward and hit his head on the concrete ramp, which resulted in fatal head injuries. The ground crew personnel were not wearing helmets at the time of the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 9,500 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 150 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 21, 2000; 0.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,975 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Continental IO-240-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental IO-240-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airship USA, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SBD San Bernadino CA at 2:30 pm
- Destination: SBD San Bernadino CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from RIV, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N819AC 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.