More detail on this person: David R. Kyle
served with the 21st Signal Group AVN detachment
in Vietnam 1970-71. I flew with Dave during that
time period. I arrived in Vietnam 4/23/70 and he
arrived 3-4 weeks later. This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site:
04/13/2025
Copyright © 1998 - 2025 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
From: David Baggott
LAX97GA205
HISTORY OF FLIGHT: On June 10, 1997, at 0938
hours Pacific daylight time, a North
American-Rockwell OV-10A Bronco, N94LM, was
destroyed when it impacted the side of a hill 25
statute miles southeast of Hollister, California,
at GPS coordinates 36.34.0 degrees north latitude
and 121.10.6 degrees west longitude. The
commercial pilot was fatally injured, and several
trees on the surrounding property were destroyed
by fire. The flight departed from Meadows Field,
Bakersfield, California, on a local training
flight and was being operated by the Bureau of
Land Management as a public-use aircraft. Visual
meteorological conditions prevailed at the time
and no flight plan had been filed.
Four witnesses from a fire station reported
observing the aircraft fly by their location at
approximately 200 feet agl and initiate a roll to
the right. The aircraft continued the right roll
to a near inverted attitude and then reversed the
roll direction in an attempt to level the wings.
The aircraft then struck the ground in
approximately a 90-degree right bank attitude
where it disintegrated and burned. The witnesses
stated that the aircraft engines sounded normal
and they did not observe anything depart from the
aircraft prior to impact.
PILOT INFORMATION: The pilot had recently
joined the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as
an OV-10 pilot. Prior to that time, he had been a
helicopter pilot with the U.S. Forest Service and
had worked at the fire station where the accident
occurred.
The pilot's logbook indicated that he had a total
of 10,063 flight hours, of which 7,926 were in
helicopters and 1,837 in multiengine aircraft.
Since joining the BLM, he had accumulated a total
of 21 hours in the OV-10A. He held a commercial
pilot certificate with single engine airplane,
multiengine airplane, rotorcraft helicopter,
instrument-airplane, instrument-helicopter, and
helicopter instructor ratings. He also held a
current Class 2 medical certificate with a
requirement to possess glasses while piloting an
aircraft.
AIRPLANE INFORMATION: Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) records indicated that the
aircraft was a 1968 North American-Rockwell
OV-10A powered by Garrett turboprop engines rated
at 715 horsepower each. Aircraft records indicated
a total airframe time of 11,152 hours. The
aircraft was being maintained on a continuous
inspection program and had 88 hours since the last
inspection. The left engine, serial number
GE00386, had a total time of 8,074 hours with 682
hours since the last overhaul. The right engine,
serial number GE00687, had a total time of 6,416
hours with 894 hours since the last overhaul.
There were no outstanding Airworthiness Directives
(AD's) or recent major maintenance activity
evident in the aircraft records.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION: On-site
witnesses reported that, at the time of the
accident, the weather was clear and visibility 10
statute miles or better with a surface wind from
005 degrees magnetic at approximately 5 knots
with no apparent wind gusts. The free air
temperature was approximately 69 degrees
Fahrenheit. Calculations performed by the Safety
Board indicated that a density altitude of 2,200
feet msl existed at the time.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION: The
aircraft remains were found scattered over the
west and north sides of a low hill. Ground scars
and the wreckage were distributed on a median
magnetic bearing of approximately 005 degrees.
Witnesses stated that it appeared to them that the
aircraft was in a 90-degree right bank and a
30-degree nose low attitude at the time of impact.
The airframe and engines were destroyed by the
impact sequence and subsequent fire to the extent
that preimpact continuity of the flight control
system, engine controls, or fuel system could not
be determined. In addition, none of the cockpit
instruments or controls were usable for forensic
purposes.
There were two debris fields, both oriented on the
005-degree magnetic bearing. The first consisted
of approximately a 100-yards-long by 70-yards-wide
field. The second began about 200 yards beyond
the end of the first and continued for 100 yards
with a width of 40 yards. Most of the heavy pieces
of the airframe, such as the engines and landing
gear, were located in the second debris field.
Both engine compressors sections were located in
the second debris field and displayed rotational
damage. Both propellers were in the first debris
field and had forward bending of all blades with
deep chordwise scratches on the flat side of the
blades. One prop blade from the left engine had
departed from the hub and was found imbedded in a
tree approximately 50 yards to the left and 30
yards forward of the initial impact point.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION:
The toxicology report received from the FAA Civil
Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) was negative for
carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs. Cyanide
analysis could not be performed due to lack of a
suitable specimen.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On June 11, 1997,
the aircraft wreckage and all airframe and engine
records were released to the Office of Aircraft
Services, Department of Interior, Boise, Idaho. No
components were retained by the Safety Board.