Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500N accident near Santa Monica, California, April 18, 2014
On April 18, 2014 at about 8:40 pm local time, a 1993 Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500N, registered N522GS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Santa Monica, California (Santa Monica Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fracture of the right aft landing gear strut due to undetected fatigue cracking in an inboard rivet hole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2014 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Monica, California · Santa Monica Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 500N, built 1993 · all 500Ns on the register
- Registration
- N522GS · registry record · serial LN056
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot/owner of the helicopter was conducting a local personal flight. The pilot reported that, upon landing, he slowly sat the helicopter down on a landing pad and then felt it "drastically" slip to the right. He then lifted the helicopter off the pad, at which time a passenger verified that the right aft landing gear strut was broken. A passenger reported that, upon touchdown, he heard a "loud pop." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously issued an airworthiness directive (AD) applicable to the accident helicopter make and model to detect cracks that could result in the failure of the strut and subsequent loss of helicopter control during landing. The AD required modifications to the landing gear strut rivet holes and fairings and subsequent initial dye penetrant inspections followed by continuing 10x magnified visual inspections at intervals not to exceed every 100 hours time in service or during each annual inspection. According to the FAA, the AD was complied with at an airframe total time of 2,248.3 hours. At the time of the accident, the total airframe time was 2,274 hours. Examination of the right aft landing gear strut revealed that it had fractured due to undetected fatigue cracking in an inboard rivet hole. The fatigue cracks were very small, and given their size, they likely would not have been detectible by the existing required visual inspections. The cracks initiated after the rivet hole diameter was increased; therefore, they initiated after the initial penetrant inspection. Although it is possible that the fatigue cracks were the result of a degradation in material properties or, more likely, due to greater loads from a previous hard landing or normal landing on primarily the right skid, the investigation was not able to determine the origin of the fatigue cracks based on the available information.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,110 hours in all; 368.5 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 8, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,274 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 16, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250C20RZ (turboshaft); 2,213 hours total
- Operator: V & A Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CMA Camarillo CA at 7:50 pm
- Destination: SMO Santa Monica CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from KSMO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.