Hughes OH-6A accident near Jacumba, California, October 15, 2004
On October 15, 2004 at about 8:15 am local time, a Hughes OH-6A (helicopter), registered N6639R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacumba, California (Jacumba Airport). It was a public-use 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 adequate clearance from the mountainous terrain, which resulted in the helicopter's tail rotor blades impacting rocks. A factor in the accident was the pilot's complacency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2004 · about 8:15 am local time
- Place
- Jacumba, California · Jacumba Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes OH-6A · all OH-6As on the register
- Registration
- N6639R · no longer on the register · serial 66-7874
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The public-use law enforcement helicopter collided with rocks and terrain while performing low altitude maneuvers in mountainous terrain on a dark night. The pilot maneuvered the helicopter in a turning descent, in an effort to provide the observer with a better view of the area. As he turned the helicopter, he heard a loud bang, followed by a vibration, at which point he opted to land. After egressing the helicopter, he discovered that approximately 3 inches of each tail rotor blade were missing. Days later, while inspecting the accident scene, he also found red and white paint transfers on a rock, located about 100 yards uphill from the landing site; he noted that the tail rotor blades were painted red and white. He thought that his complacency and eagerness to finish the flight might have contributed to him misjudging the maneuver. He reported no mechanical malfunctions of failures with the helicopter prior to impact.
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; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,514 hours in all; 674 in this make and model; 155 in the last 90 days; 72 in the last 30 days; 2,095 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,304 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 12, 2004; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KIPL Imperial CA at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
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 N6639R 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.