NONE · LEONARDO AW139 · 2017-09-02 · Tujunga, CA, USA
Event
NTSB number
ANC17LA051
Event ID
20170908X51711
Type
Accident
Date
2017-09-02
Location
Tujunga, CA, USA
Coordinates
34.246387, -118.30027
Injuries
Highest injury
NONE
Fatal
0
Serious
0
Minor
0
Uninjured
2
Total aboard
2
Aircraft
Make
LEONARDO
Model
AW139
Registration
N304FD
FAR Part
PUBU
Engines
2
Damage
SUBS
Conditions
Light
DAYL
Weather
VMC
Probable cause
A yaw excursion and uncontrolled descent due to loss of tail rotor effectiveness during aerial firefighting operations resulting in an impact with trees. A contributing factor was the pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed, coupled with a quartering tailwind during aerial firefighting operations. An additional factor was the operator’s lack of guidance to the hazards associated with aerial firefighting operations near and around smoke columns.