Two On Board Fatally Injured When Aircraft Went Down Near The Port Of Los Angeles

The NTSB has released its preliminary report from an accident involving a Robinson R22 which went down January 4 in in the water near the Port of Los Angeles.

According to the report, the aircraft impacted the water at about 1735 Pacific standard time near San Pedro, California. JJ Helicopters was operating the helicopter under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter sustained substantial damage during the accident sequence. The local photography flight departed Torrance Municipal Airport, Torrance, California, about 1635 PST. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The operator reported that the purpose of the flight was to take aerial photos of several cruise ships in a nearby harbor. The helicopter departed from the operator's ramp area, and proceeded to the harbor. It made several orbits around a ship, and then witnesses reported that the helicopter began spinning as it went straight down into the water. When the helicopter was 2 hours overdue, the operator reported it to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and an alert notice (ALNOT) was issued. Several local agencies initiated a search, and the wreckage was located about 1015 on January 5, 2017.

The local agencies reported that the helicopter came to rest upright in about 18 feet of water.

All major components of the helicopter were recovered except the outboard section of a main rotor blade. The fracture surface at the separation point was jagged and angular.

(Source: NTSB. Image from file. Not accident aircraft)

FMI: www.ntsb.gov