# Accident 19810705038489A: Bell OH13M74TEXH, Blythe, CA, July 5, 1981

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 5, 1981, 02:30 local time
- Place: Blythe, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Location: 33.6535° N, 114.6218° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Blythe, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6535&lon=-114.6218&mi=10
- Aircraft: N38105, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N38105-2012-06-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Texas Helicopter OH-13E/M74 (registry code 8930103, https://openairdocs.org/model/texas-helicopter-oh-13e-m74) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL OH13M74TEXH
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 12,000 total, 3,000 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX81DUG37](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX81DUG37) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810705038489A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

BEARING ON TAIL ROTOR DRIVE FAILED DURING AG OPERATION. HELICOPTER SELF DESTRUCTED ON EMERGENCY LANDING.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX81DUG37](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX81DUG37), Jul 5, 1981: Texas Heli M74 (N38105), Blythe, CA, destroyed

## Other reports on N38105 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19790821026459A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790821026459A), Aug 21, 1979: Texhel OH13ETEXHELI (N38105), Ehrenberg, AZ, Substantial damage. Failure of tail rotor drive assembly.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.