Mcdonnell Douglas 500N accident near Los Angeles, California, May 8, 2000
On May 8, 2000 at about 4:25 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas 500N (helicopter), registered N955SD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Angeles, California. It was a public-use 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 combined failure of the operator management and the check pilot to ensure the landing area was suitable for the slide on landing. Factors were the high vegetation that entangled the skids, resulting in the abrupt stop and nose down movement of the helicopter, and the training pilot's inappropriate response to the nose pitch down.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2000 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Los Angeles, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 500N
- Registration
- N955SD · no longer on the register · serial LN080
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported the purpose of the flight was to practice emergency procedures as part of routine intradepartmental training. The training was being conducted in an open field on property owned by the Sheriff's Department. The flight instructor stated that they often utilized the field for flight training purposes, and reported that he had done some training there about 1-week prior. He reported that they performed a high reconnaissance of the field prior to landing and he noted nothing unsuitable about the terrain. A ground survey was not performed prior to the conduct of training flights and landings in the field. The flight instructor stated that he reduced the throttle to ground idle about 10 to 12 feet agl to simulate a total power loss. The pilot trainee was on the controls; he landed the helicopter with no problems. The flight instructor stated that the helicopter slid forward only a few feet, then stopped abruptly. The skids had become entangled in some 18-inch-tall grass and imbedded vines, causing unexpected friction. He stated that the natural tendency to input aft cyclic to stop the aircraft from going over caused the main rotor blades to contact the tail boom.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,494 hours in all; 865 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 13,422 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,802 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 21, 1999; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGB Long Beach CA at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 17,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:47 pm from EMT
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.
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.