# Accident 19960111029949A: Bell 47G5, Pope Valley, CA, January 11, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 11, 1996, 16:00 local time
- Place: Pope Valley, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Location: 38.6695° N, 122.4391° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6695&lon=-122.4391&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1309X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1309X-2000-04-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47G-5 (registry code 1181032, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47G5
- Reported engine: LYC VO435*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 7,000 total, 5,000 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX96LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96LA093) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960111029949A

## Narrative

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

(.4)THE PILOT HAD HOVERED THE HELICOPTER OVER THE LOADING PLATFORM AND LOWERED THE BROADCASTER (BUCKET) ONTO THE PLATFORM FOR RELOADING. AFTER THE GROUND CREW LOADED THE BROADCASTER, THE PILOT TURNED THE HELICOPTER AND BEGAN TO DEPART.  THE BROADCASTER CABLES BECAME ENTANGLED WITH THE TRUCK AND THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED, UNCONTROLLED, AND CRASHED.

## 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 LAX96LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96LA093), Jan 12, 1996: Bell 47-G5 (N1309X), Pope Valley, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: the pilot misjudged the clearance between the broadcaster and the truck resulting in the broadcaster's cables becoming entangled with the truck.

## Other reports on N1309X (1)

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

- [Accident 19950220002109A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950220002109A), Feb 20, 1995: Bell 47G5 (N1309X), Sonoma, CA, Substantial damage. Moisture on bubble and blinded by sun. Struck wires on takeoff.

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.

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