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19980707016269A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 47G-5 · Salinas, CA · July 7, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 7, 1998 · 08:00 local
Place
Salinas, CA
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N7914S
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98LA225
Reported as
Bell 47G5
Reported engine
Lycoming VO435B1A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total500 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days
N7914SRegistration cancelled Mar 23, 2017 · Bell 47G-5S/N 7848Airframe modelBell 47G-5Engine modelLycoming VO-435 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Spray run parallel to telephone lines. Main rotor hit wires. Descended to ground. Skids hit pipes. Nosed over. (-23) on the morning of July 5, 1998, at approximately 0800 pilot arthur brumwell was conducting a 137 aerial application of a celery field for his employer gomes air service of Salinas California. The location of hte accident was about ten miles due south of Salinas, CA. At the time of the accident the pilot Mr. Brumwell, was flying his helicopter parallel with the power lines at approximately ten feet. The main rotor blades came in contact with the lower telephone lines wrapping the lines around the main rotor mast and pitch control rods. At this time Mr. Brumwell lost all control of the helicopter, it came down in the adjacent field and the skids caught irrigation piping which turned the helicopter over causing the main rotors to contact the ground. Mr. Brumwell sustained minor injury to his right hand and fingers, the helicopter sustained major damage. The epa was contacted to conduct supervision of chemical clean-up. (.4)the pilot was spraying a field approximately 10 feet AGL parallel to telephone lines. The main rotor blades clipped the telephone lines and the helicopter descended into the ground. The skids became embedded in a row of irrigation pipes and the aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the accident.

As the FAA filed it

SPRAY RUN PARALLEL TO TELEPHONE LINES. MAIN ROTOR HIT WIRES. DESCENDED TO GROUND. SKIDS HIT PIPES. NOSED OVER. (-23) ON THE MORNING OF JULY 5, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 PILOT ARTHUR BRUMWELL WAS CONDUCTING A 137 AERIAL APPLICATION OF A CELERY FIELD FOR HIS EMPLOYER GOMES AIR SERVICE OF SALINAS CALIFORNIA. THE LOCATION OF HTE ACCIDENT WAS ABOUT TEN MILES DUE SOUTH OF SALINAS, CA. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT MR. BRUMWELL, WAS FLYING HIS HELICOPTER PARALLEL WITH THE POWER LINES AT APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE LOWER TELEPHONE LINES WRAPPING THE LINES AROUND THE MAIN ROTOR MAST AND PITCH CONTROL RODS. AT THIS TIME MR. BRUMWELL LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER, IT CAME DOWN IN THE ADJACENT FIELD AND THE SKIDS CAUGHT IRRIGATION PIPING WHICH TURNED THE HELICOPTER OVER CAUSING THE MAIN ROTORS TO CONTACT THE GROUND. MR. BRUMWELL SUSTAINED MINOR INJURY TO HIS RIGHT HAND AND FINGERS, THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE. THE EPA WAS CONTACTED TO CONDUCT SUPERVISION OF CHEMICAL CLEAN-UP. (.4)THE PILOT WAS SPRAYING A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET AGL PARALLEL TO TELEPHONE LINES. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CLIPPED THE TELEPHONE LINES AND THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND. THE SKIDS BECAME EMBEDDED IN A ROW OF IRRIGATION PIPES AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX98LA225Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSalinas, CAThe failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the telephone lines.Jul 7, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N7914S · 2

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

Accident 19790706019289ALow Level Operations · Escondido, CAAg pilot enroute between ag strips flew into area of low ceilings and fog. Hit trees. Helicopter or pilot not ratedJul 6, 1979 · Substantial damageAccident 19780410007779ALow Level Operations · Templeton, CAThrust bearing.Apr 10, 1978 · Reported as Bell 47B3 · Substantial damage