NTSB Identification: LAX07FA056
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, December 10, 2006 in Hesperia, CA
Aircraft: Bell 412SP, registration: N410MA
Injuries: 3 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On December 10, 2006, about 1755 Pacific standard time, a Bell 412SP helicopter, N410MA, call sign "Mercy Air 2," impacted mountainous terrain near Hesperia, California. LifeNet, Inc., d.b.a. Mercy Air Services, Inc., was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot and two medical crew members sustained fatal injuries; the helicopter was destroyed. A post impact fire ensued. The cross-country repositioning flight departed Loma Linda University Medical Center (94CL), Loma Linda, California, at 1742, with a planned destination of Southern California Logistics Airport (VCV), Victorville, California. Visual meteorological conditions predominately prevailed along the route of flight, and a company visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed. The approximate global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the primary wreckage were 34 degrees 20.534 minutes north latitude and 117 degrees 25.884 minutes west longitude.
Reported weather conditions from VCV, 15 nautical miles (nm) northeast of the accident site, were visibility 10 statute miles; a broken cloud layer at 3,800 feet, and an overcast cloud layer at 4,900; temperature 11 degrees Celsius; dew point 03 degrees Celsius; altimeter 30.17 inHg. Weather conditions at Ontario International Airport, Ontario, California, 19 nm southwest of the accident site, were visibility 10 statute miles; a broken cloud layer at 3,800 feet, and an overcast cloud layer at 5,500; temperature 13 degrees Celsius; dew point 06 degrees Celsius; altimeter 30.19 inHg.
Mercy Air 2 had transported an injured patient from Phelan, California, to Loma Linda, and was returning to their assigned base at the time of the accident. Mercy Air 2 had traversed through the Cajon Pass in the area of the accident site five times previously on the date of the accident. The accident flight was the first flight of the day that was conducted during night conditions.
Mercy Air 2 was equipped with the OuterLink Automatic Flight Following System, a satellite-based tracking system that reports the helicopter's location to the ground base while it is in operation. The unit installed in the accident helicopter reported the following parameters every 30 seconds: date, time, latitude, and longitude. The installed system was capable of recording the altitude and airspeed, but Mercy Air had not yet installed the software upgrade required to make those parameters functional.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) reviewed the data from the Outerlink system. The satellite data indicated that the helicopter departed from 94CL and flew towards the Cajon Pass in a northwest direction. The flight path then followed the northbound Interstate 15 until it had almost reached the summit of the Cajon Pass. The global positioning system (GPS) tracked the helicopter as it continued toward the northeast while the Interstate turned toward the north. The last known position of Mercy Air 2 was recorded at 1755, and was 0.3 nautical miles northwest of the first identified impact point.
At 1800, the San Bernardino County Fire Department dispatch center started to receive numerous calls of an explosion and fire northeast of Interstate 15 in the area of Oak Hills. The first fire department responders to the accident site reported that the area was covered by intermittent waves of fog, which made it difficult to locate the wreckage.
First Responders reported that upon their arrival the wreckage site was fully engulfed in fire. The post impact fire consumed approximately 2 acres of mountainside.
The wreckage site was located on mountainous terrain on a 45-degree slope at an elevation between 4,000 to 4,300 feet above mean sea level (msl). The first identified point of impact was near the base of the mountainous terrain with the debris path emanating upslope.
The first identified impact point was a ground scar located next to the separated tail boom and the left skid. The debris path consisted of the tail boom, both skids, both engines, the main rotor assembly, and various other fuselage panels. The energy path was measured on a 155-degree bearing from the first identified impact point.
Examination of the maintenance and flight department records revealed no unresolved maintenance discrepancies against the helicopter prior to departure.
