Poor Training Cited in Helicopter Mishap

An accident last year that destroyed a $1.1-million sheriff’s helicopter was caused by crew members who were not properly trained to use a machine that drops incendiary balls, federal investigators said.

The device, used to set controlled burns, was also not properly installed on the Bell 206L-3 helicopter, and the Sheriff’s Department failed to maintain written standards for operation and maintenance of the equipment, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its final report.

The report does not specifically assign blame for the June 30, 1993, accident in Agoura Hills. It states that while the helicopter was sitting on a hilltop, crew chief Jeff Lawrence reloaded the incendiary machine so that it would be ready for the crew’s next round of starting controlled burns.

But the helicopter was improperly wired so that power to the unit was controlled by the pilot, not the crew chief, the report says. Pilot Chris Spangenberg then inadvertently activated the machine while the helicopter sat idled, federal investigators reported.

A pellet the size of a Ping-Pong ball filled with chemicals dropped and exploded below the helicopter, igniting the grass and destroying the helicopter. Crew members were able to escape, but Spangenberg suffered minor injuries, the report says.

Following the incident, Spangenberg was suspended with full pay for three months, then transferred. He now works at the Ventura County Jail.

Spangenberg continued to maintain this week that he did not flip any switch that started the fire. Spangenberg said he believes that the machine was activated by other causes.

But he is grateful that the final report points out what he believes are shortcomings in the sheriff’s air unit, from poor training and coordination to improper maintenance of the incendiary device, Spangenberg said.

Cmdr. Dick Purnell, who heads up the air unit, said he has instituted several changes aimed at preventing further damage to equipment or personnel. Pilots and crew now undergo more rigorous training, and a training manual has been developed for those who use the incendiary device, he said.

“It was an unfortunate set of circumstances,” Purnell said. “We are trying to correct it as best we can.”

The Bell craft has been replaced by a McDonnell Douglas 530-F, Purnell said.