McDonnell Douglas 600N N626SB
10 March 1999 · Rialto, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 10 March 1999 at about 01:55 local time, a McDonnell Douglas 600N registered N626SB was involved in an accident near Rialto, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:55
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Rialto, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.1008, -117.3808
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas 600N
- Registration
- N626SB
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Rialto → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX99TA115
People
3 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper in-flight decision to maneuver in the area while observed inclement weather approached, which led to a loss of control. Contributing factors were the low ceilings, mountainous terrain and spatial disorientation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During a routine law enforcement patrol flight, the pilot responded to the 4,700-foot mean sea level mountainside to investigate circumstances related to an apparent abandoned vehicle. Upon arriving at the site, the pilot performed a toe-in landing to discharge his crewmember. The crewmember proceeded to evaluate the vehicle while the pilot orbited the area. While orbiting, the pilot observed that low elevation clouds were approaching. However, the visibility initially was about 10 miles, and the cloud height appeared between 500 and 600 feet above the ground. After a few minutes, the crewmember returned to the helicopter, and they departed. Seconds after taking off the pilot lost visual reference with the ground. The pilot further indicated that he continued flying by reference to his flight instruments and the helicopter began spinning. Between 1 and 1.5 minutes later the spinning stopped, and the helicopter lost altitude until impacting the mountainside.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other McDonnell Douglas 600 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jan 1998 | McDonnell Douglas 600N | Mesa, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 1998 | McDonnell Douglas 600N | Laguna Beach, California, United States | Orange County Sheriff Dept | No injuries | - |
| 21 Feb 2001 | McDonnell Douglas 600N | San Diego, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 2001 | McDonnell Douglas 600N | Long Beach, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Oct 2001 | McDonnell Douglas 600N | Laughlin, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Oct 2002 | McDonnell Douglas 600N | Rialto, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Dec 1999 | Rhea KR-2 | Moreno Valley, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Dec 1999 | Cessna 172A | Shoshone, California, United States | Charles R. Christman | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 1999 | Piper PA-22-150 | Strathmore, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Sep 1999 | Cessna 172N | San Jose, California, United States | Concord Flight Intl, Inc | No injuries | - |
| 30 Apr 1999 | Schweizer 269C-1 | Concord, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Sep 1999 | Robinson R-22 | Azusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |