Two Police Helicopters Destroyed In Catastrophic Rotor Collision
Holy cow.
On November 17, 2012 a Pasadena Police Department (PD) helicopter struck a stationary Pasadena PD helicopter while maneuvering to park at the Pasadena Police Benedict Heliport in Altadena, California.
More details follow, but first a brief comment: In the aftermath of this accident the Pasadena Police Department was quoted by news sources reassuring the public that the accident would not impact police coverage, primarily because the department had four additional helicopters. No mention was made of the fact that in the split-second accident you see in this video taxpayers lost millions of dollars. That I could find no record of the city addressing the financial impact of this event is concerning. Remember the Chicago Transit Authority train crash, where the operator fell asleep and her ride collided with a bumping post? She was only sixty days on the job and had already fallen asleep while operating a train at least one other time, careening through a station where she was supposed to have stopped. Her last nap as a train operator cost the taxpayers of Chicago well over six million dollars, and she wasn’t even fired from her job immediately. The Pasadena Police Department has acquired at least one new helicopter since this accident, and it comes as no surprise that they seem to have been less-than-transparent about its cost. Demand accountability and transparency from the officials who spend your money, and don’t let the drama of transportation accidents overshadow their often immense financial burden.
Onward: N911FA, a Bell OH-58, was attempting to park on Pad 2 at the Pasadena PD heliport, and N96BM, a Bell OH-58A, was on the ground adjacent to Pad 1 with its main rotor blades turning when the collision occurred. Pasadena PD operated both helicopters under the provision of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as public-use flights. Both helicopters sustained substantial damage.
The commercial pilot and two passengers of N911FA received minor injuries. The commercial pilot and tactical flight officer (TFO) of N96BM received minor injuries. Also, one person on the ground received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plans had been filed.
According to Pasadena PD, N911FA was providing traffic support for a college football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The flight departed at 1552, and flew toward the Rose Bowl; the intent was to be gone for a 1 hour flight. At the time of departure for N911FA, weather at the heliport was not a factor. At 1555, about 3 minutes later, N96BM was moved out of the hangar in response to an in-progress call, and placed on the outside edge of Pad 1, in between Pad 1 and Pad 2 facing to the south. The pilot of N96BM had started the engine, and begun the startup sequence.
At 1558, N911FA returned to the heliport due to diminishing weather. The pilot of N911FA made a normal approach from the north to the main pad. From the main pad, the pilot performed a left pedal turn turning the helicopter to the east, and hover-taxied toward pad 2. The pilot then made a right pedal turn, turning the helicopter to the south. As she lowered the collective to land on pad 2, the main rotor blades came into contact with N96BM’s main rotor blades.
The air support Lieutenant (Lt.) was interviewed on November 18, 2012. He had observed that throughout the day prior to the accident, the weather had been spotty; clear one moment, cloudy and overcast the next. As N911FA took off, he observed from his office marginal weather conditions. A couple of minutes later, he looked out his window, and noted that the weather was closing in, and that N96BM was on Pad 1 preparing to take off. He walked out of his office toward N96BM, with the intent of telling the flight crew to stand down. He stated that he had been standing by the left door on the outside of N96BM. He observed N911FA returning to base, and thought that was a good thing. He recalled hearing a loud bang, getting knocked to the ground, and then running away from N96BM.
The complete NTSB accident report can be found at
~~~~~
Got a story tip? Email news@.
(Keep in mind that we don’t publish footage that has already been published elsewhere.)
2 views
491
137
2 months ago 00:06:23 1
Dale J. Gordon - Police, Please
2 months ago 00:01:31 1
Speeding Tesla kills 2 in China, carmaker denies claims that brakes failed
2 months ago 00:04:40 1
Break the Rules but you’re about to start the North Hollywood Shootout
2 months ago 00:20:20 1
Political Song: “Hey SwiSSy, are you Busy at the BIS-sie“ (with Lyrics by Sean Quixote)
2 months ago 00:05:23 1
Sting — Desert Rose — Live With The SF Symphony — February 15, 2024 (4K)
2 months ago 00:00:30 1
Moment four men appear to try and ’force Jewish pedestrian into car boot’ in London
2 months ago 00:02:35 1
Moment have-a-go hero shopkeeper traps machete-wielding robbers inside shop
2 months ago 00:03:10 1
Sub Urban - Cirque [Official Music Video]
2 months ago 00:02:12 1
Outrage In Maryland Over Video Of Police Handcuffing 5-Year-Old | NBC Nightly News
2 months ago 00:10:27 1
Heated scenes as pro-Palestine protesters FACE OFF with pro-Israel demo in Central London
2 months ago 00:01:36 1
German police violently attack Gaza solidarity camp in Berlin
2 months ago 00:00:33 1
Dashcam Footage Captures Moment Of Instant Karma | 10 News First
2 months ago 00:04:32 1
Hempress Sativa - Ooh LaLaLA | Official Music Video
2 months ago 00:00:31 4
The Catholic Boat HD South Park
2 months ago 00:03:16 1
Pro-Palestine protests continue at Paris Institute of Political Studies
2 months ago 00:07:09 1
Netanyahu Warns of ’Terrible Consequences’ if US, World Antisemitism Not Quelled
2 months ago 00:00:44 1
CCTV captures killer Ahmed Alid on rampage before he murdered stranger ’for the people of Gaza’
2 months ago 00:00:37 1
Huge fake euro operation thwarted after gang distributes almost 400,000 across Europe
2 months ago 00:00:45 1
Moment two suspected drug dealers arrested by police at McDonald’s drive-thru
2 months ago 00:06:12 1
Nothing will stop us! Desperate migrants clash with police as they storm boats to get to England
2 months ago 00:01:24 1
Björk, statement to the press about her stalker. London, September 18, 1996.
2 months ago 00:00:18 1
Two-Tier Policing EXPOSED
2 months ago 00:00:00 1
LIVE: ‘Doomsday Cult’ Prophet Murder Trial — ID v. Chad Daybell — Day 12
2 months ago 00:01:22 1
Child Predator Fatally Shot After Pulling Gun On Cops at a Hotel in Seattle