Accident · 2004-10-15

NTSB case LAX05TA008 · Hughes OH-6A · PUBU

What the record says

Event date: 2004-10-15
Event type: Accident
Highest injury level: No injuries
Aircraft: Hughes OH-6A (N6639R)
Operating rule: PUBU
Operator: U.S. BORDER PATROL Operator named in NTSB report
Operated by (per NTSB report): US Border Patrol

Probable cause

the pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the mountainous terrain, which resulted in the helicopter's tail rotor blades impacting rocks. A factor in the accident was the pilot's complacency.

Source: NTSB case LAX05TA008

Flight crew

Flight-crew details for this event aren't in the NTSB database extract we hold (its coverage starts with 2008 events) — a gap in our data, not an absence of crew.

Facts as the NTSB records them — GroundCheck adds no judgement. Preliminary records may be revised as the investigation proceeds.

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