SHIFT IN COPTER'S APPROACH STUDIED IN FATAL CRASH : PROBE ALSO TARGETS FIRM'S FAILURE TO FILE FILM PERMIT.

Byline: Jaxon Van Derbeken and Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writers

Last-minute changes to the planned approach for a helicopter in the shooting of a television commercial preceded the desert crash that killed a veteran pilot from Woodland Hills, authorities said Wednesday.

Michael Edward Tamburro, 38, of Woodland Hills died Tuesday when the Bell AH-1 Cobra he was co-piloting crashed during the second take of a Black & Decker commercial that was being produced by Propaganda Films, officials said.

Before the accident, the production crew reconfigured how the craft maneuvered to clear two rocky outcroppings while limiting dust and meeting the goal of staying behind in a simulated chase sequence, authorities said.

Questions also have been raised about the crash because the company had not sought a film permit to use a helicopter in the sequence.

Propaganda Films will be issued no new permits for filming outside of studios in the Los Angeles city and county areas until an investigation is conducted, said Michael Bobenko, vice president of operations for the Entertainment Industry Development Corp./Los Angeles Film Office, which issues the permits.

The main rotor blade hit a rock on the side of a desert butte, said Don Llorente, a senior air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.

Llorente said Wednesday that during the first take, the helicopter was hovering close to the saddle between the buttes, creating unwanted dust. The helicopter also overtook the utility vehicle it was supposed to stay behind in a simulated pursuit.

In the second take, the helicopter began the approach from 100 yards south of the saddle, so it would be further behind the rocky outcroppings to prevent the dust and to remain behind in the pursuit, Llorente said.

``They were told to go further back,'' Llorente said. During the second shoot, however, the angle was different. ``They were closer to the left butte and slightly above, they went into a turn,'' Llorente said. ``It was supposed to be a straight shot (approach).''

``Apparently, on the second pass, he banked the helicopter to the left, and the retreating blade - the back end of the blade - struck the outcropping on the west side,'' Llorente said.

The helicopter began to break apart as it hit the ground, swayed to the left, bounced and crashed into a trailer and then a generator used in the production, he said.

Llorente said the helicopter went out of control and crashed about 100 yards from where the blade first hit the rock.

One of the 50 crew members on the ground was cut in the leg and buttocks by flying debris. ``They were running for cover under the trailer when a piece of wreckage struck him,'' Llorente said.

Llorente said he was not able to view the story boards for the commercial Wednesday and is not sure whether a Federal Aviation Administration flight plan was submitted.

As federal officials investigated Tuesday's crash, other probes were begun into worker safety issues and alleged film permit rule violations surrounding the production and the death of Tamburro, the co-owner of Van Nuys-based West Coast Helicopter.

Tamburro died after he suffered a broken neck and head injuries. The second co-pilot, Alan Purwin, 34, who co-owned West Coast Helicopter with Tamburro, suffered a broken arm.

Officials say it is unclear who was flying the craft at the time of the crash, as there were dual cockpit controls.

Tamburro is survived by his wife, Tamara, his 11-year-old son Mikey and a 1-year-old daughter, Laura. Tamburro's brother John is also a veteran pilot who works for the company. Tamburro's wife had done work in the office.

Jennifer York, a traffic reporter who has flown in West Coast Helicopters, said she knew Michael for five years and watched his business grow and take on productions for motion pictures. The crew had flown helicopters for KTLA and KCOP, and recently was contracted with other local television stations.

``It started small, but it got huge,'' York said, adding that the operation now has 10 pilots.

``Mike was a really calm, great guy,'' she said. ``You just felt like he was a professional when you were around him, he was a great pilot.''

Officials at West Coast said they are still waiting to hear from investigators about what happened that led to the death of the 20-year veteran pilot.

``Mike was an accomplished pilot, a tremendous family man and a tremendous person,'' said David Corsello, a spokesman for West Coast. ``It's a tragic thing.''

``Our hearts are out to the family.''

While the NTSB will investigate the factors surrounding the crash, the District Attorney's Office and California Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate workplace safety violations, officials said.

Bobenko said the film agency will meet with the production company today to discuss why the helicopter was not mentioned in the permit application. He said a federal review of the flight plan would have been required before the permit was issued.

``It is a very severe violation of the permit process,'' Bobenko said. ``It's highly irregular that we're not told what type of activities are taking place at a film location.''

Officials at Propaganda Films said they relied on the advice of a fire inspector about the needed permits.

Pat Kingsley, spokeswoman for Propaganda Films, said her company had obtained a filming permit as well as an added special effects supplement needed to stage pyrotechnics after the fire official told the crew that such a permit was needed.

But she said her company did not get a helicopter use permit. In a prepared statement, the firm said the failure to mention the helicopter was an ``oversight'' that was ``not intentional.''

Kingsley said the company relied on a fire inspector who checked out the location and only told them about a pyrotechnics permit, because explosives were used to simulate gunfire.

County Fire Capt. Steve Valenzuela said Wednesday that the use of the helicopter would not necessarily have come under fire rules, as the pyrotechnics involved would not pose a risk to the helicopter.

Still, he said, the permit should have noted the use of a helicopter.

``As far as our department is concerned, the proper permit for a filming sequence which would involve helicopter and special effects, together, was not there,'' said County Fire Capt. Steve Valenzuela. ``It was not noted on the permit we received.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) Investigators survey the wreckage of a helico pter that crashed while filming a commercial Tuesday.

(2) Michael E. Tamburro

Veteran pilot killed in crash

Bhavna Mistry/Daily News