VALENCIA, CA, USA
N87701
BELL UH-1B
ACFT BEING USED TO FILM MOVIE SCENE DEPICTING ATTACK OF VILLAGE TYPICAL OF VILLGES IN VIET NAM. ACFT WAS ABOUT 25 FT AGL & ABOVE LOCATION WHERE SPECIAL EFFECTS EXPLOSIVES WERE DETONATED. AS THE PLT TURNED ACFT FOR CAMERA COVERAGE, ACFT'STAIL SECTION WAS ENGULFED IN FIREBALL CREATED BY SPECIAL EFFECTS EXPLOSION. T/R ASSEMBLY SEPARATED & ACFT DESCENDED OUT OF CONTROL. M/R BLADE STRUCK 3 ACTORS ON GROUND. THE BOARD DETERMINED THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DETONATION OF A DEBRIS-LADEN SPECIAL EFFECTS EXPLOSION TOO NEAR THE ACFT. THE PROXIMITY OF THE ACFT TO THE EXPLOSIONS WAS DUE TO THE FAILURE TO ESTABLISH DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS & COORDINATION BETWEEN THE PILOT, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE ACFT OPERATION, & THE FILM DIRECTOR, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE FILMING OPERATION.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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