Aerospatiale AS350B3 accident near Long Beach, California, August 26, 1999
On August 26, 1999 at about 8:33 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS350B3 (helicopter), registered N5224R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Long Beach, California (Long Beach airport). It was a business 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 failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the fence while landing. A factor was the failure of the helipad to meet the obstacle clearance design criteria specified in FAA Advisory Circular guidance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 1999 · about 8:33 pm local time
- Place
- Long Beach, California · Long Beach · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350B3 · all AS350B3s on the register
- Registration
- N5224R · no longer on the register · serial 2968
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that a linesman directed him toward the center one of three transient parking helipads next to a small perimeter fence. All three helipads were empty. As he approached the pad, the pilot became concerned about obstructions and about exposing his tail rotor to a taxiway beyond his view. He performed a left pedal turn over the pad to bring the nose around to face the taxiway. He reported that the linesman made a 'hands-down motion' and walked away. The pilot assumed he was clear to touchdown. As he touched down, the tail rotor contacted the helipad's perimeter fence. The nose of the helicopter yawed left and the pilot performed a hovering autorotation. The tail rotor blades were destroyed and the tail boom was buckled. The distance from the center of the helipad parking space to the fence was measured at 23 feet. The distance from the main rotor mast to the end of the tail stinger on the AS350B3 is just over 23 feet. According to the parking space requirements outlined by FAA A/C 150/5390-2A, the fence was supposed to be no closer than 10 feet to any part of the helicopter. The fence was found to be within the tail rotor clearance area specified in the Advisory Circular. There was insufficient room for the helicopter to make a 180-degree turn, assuming it stayed on the center point of the parking space.
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, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,882 hours in all; 177 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 2,574 as pilot in command; 19 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 812 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 1999; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,961 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 2B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VNY Van Nuys CA at 7:35 pm
- Destination: LGB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7R, 5,420 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 am from LGB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.