Bell Helicopter Crash Flight Path
Fatal Helicopter Crash Flight Path in Griffith Park

This animation shows the path the Los Angeles Fire Department Bell 205A-1 helicopter took through Griffith Park seconds before the crash. This animation is one of several prepared for Baum Hedlund to be shown as evidence during the 2006 product liability trial at Los Angeles Superior Court against Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., and Bell Technical Services, Inc. The trial was conducted by lead trial counsel Ronald L. M. Goldman and J. Clark Aristei of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman.


History: A Bell Model 205A-1 helicopter, owned and operated by the LAFD crashed in Griffith Park during an airlift rescue operation in Los Angeles on March 23, 1998. The helicopter was airlifting an injured child from a car accident when the helicopter's tail rotor yoke failed and caused the aircraft to crash, destroying the helicopter and killing the child, two LAFD paramedics and an LAFD helicopter apparatus operator.

View Other Bell Helicopter Crash Animations

Griffith Part Bell Helicoptor crash simulation video:  yoke breakdown
Griffith Part Bell Helicoptor crash simulation video:  shot peening
Griffith Part Bell Helicoptor crash simulation video:  flexure loss
Griffith Part Bell Helicoptor crash simulation video:  cracking yoke

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