Westland Helicopters WG30 incident near Santa Ana, California, November 5, 1984
On November 5, 1984 at about 5:45 am local time, a Westland Helicopters WG30, registered N5840T, was involved in an incident near Santa Ana, California (John Wayne airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 1984 · about 5:45 am local time
- Place
- Santa Ana, California · John Wayne · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Westland Helicopters WG30
- Registration
- N5840T · no longer on the register · serial 006
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A CLIMB TO CRUISE, THE CREW EXPERIENCED CONTROL DIFFICULTIES WHEN THE FOR-&-AFT TRIM ACTUATOR BEGAN TO MOTOR FORWARD AND WOULD NOT STOP. AN EMERG DESCENT WAS MADE WITH BOTH PLTS EXERTING AFT CYCLIC PRESSURE TO PREVENT THE SPEED FROM INCREASING OVER 120 KTS. THE ACFT RETURNED SUCCESSFULLY TO THE DEPARTURE ARPT. ALL GAGES INDICATED NORMAL AND NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE OBSERVED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED A FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE FB 10 ELECTRICAL RELAY AND SUBSEQUENT FOULING OF THE CONTACT OPERATION BY A BROKEN FRAGMENT. THE RELAY SPRING FAILED FROM FATIGUE, INITIATED AS MICRO CRACKS WHICH RESULTED FROM COLD FORMING BENDING AND SUBSEQUENT STRAIGHTENING PROCESS DURING MANUFACTURE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,400 hours in all; 475 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,927 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 1, 1984; 118 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,350 lb
- Seats: 18
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce GEM 510 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNA Santa Ana CA at 5:42 am
- Destination: LAX Los Angeles CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 2,887 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 700 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 am from SNA, 3 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.
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.