# Accident 19980707016269A: Bell 47G5, Salinas, CA, July 7, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 7, 1998, 08:00 local time
- Place: Salinas, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Location: 36.7590° N, 121.6508° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7590&lon=-121.6508&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7914S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7914S-2017-03-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47G-5 (registry code 1181032, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming VO-435 series (registry code 41525, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-vo-435-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47G5
- Reported engine: LYC VO435B1A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total, 500 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA225](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA225) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980707016269A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 LAX98LA225](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA225), Jul 7, 1998: Bell 47G-5 (N7914S), Salinas, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the telephone lines.

## Other reports on N7914S (2)

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

- [Accident 19790706019289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790706019289A), Jul 6, 1979: Bell 47G5 (N7914S), Escondido, CA, Substantial damage. Ag pilot enroute between ag strips flew into area of low ceilings and fog. Hit trees. Helicopter or pilot not rated
- [Accident 19780410007779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780410007779A), Apr 10, 1978: Bell 47B3 (N7914S), Templeton, CA, Substantial damage. Thrust bearing.

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.