# Accident 19990909026709A: Bell 212, Bakersfield, CA, September 9, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 9, 1999, 10:15 local time
- Place: Bakersfield, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Location: 35.3733° N, 119.0187° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Bakersfield, CA, within about 7 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.3733&lon=-119.0187&mi=10
- Aircraft: N212AR (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 212
- Reported engine: PWA PT6T3B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 10,000 total, 1,275 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99TA299](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99TA299) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990909026709A

## Narrative

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

(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1999, AT 1015 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL B212 HELICOPTER, N212AR, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT STRUCK HIGH TENSION POWER TRANSMISSION WIRES, FELL TO THE GROUND AND BURNED, 6 MILES EAST OF BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA.  THE COMMERCIAL LICENSED PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.  THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED BY AVIATION INTERNATIONAL ROTORS, INC., AND WAS OPERATED UNDER CONTRACT TO THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE AS A PUBLIC-USE AIRCRAFT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 133.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA FIRE-FIGHTING MISSION, WHICH ORIGINATED NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE ABOUT 1000. ACCORDING TO THE USDA FOREST SERVICE AVIATION AND FIRE MANAGEMENT OFFICE, THE HELICOPTER WAS ENGAGED IN DROPPING WATER ON A BRUSH FIRE USING AN EXTERNAL BUCKET AND LONG LINE.  THE PILOT MISJUDGED HIS CLEARANCE FROM HIGH-TENSION POWER TRANSMISSION WIRES AND COLLIDED WITH THEM WHILE MANEUVERING.  THE HELICOPTER THEN FELL TO THE GROUND, AND A FIRE IGNITED, WHICH CONSUMED THE HELICOPTER. CORRECTION TELEPHONED TO^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^IIC 22 SEP 99 1410....DK.                                                                                              (-23) STRUCK UNMARKED POWERLINES AT 300' AGL ON RETURN TRIP, AFTER DROPPING WATER ON A FIRE. (.4)WHILE ENGAGED IN FIRE FIGHTING WATER-DROPPING OPERATIONS, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED HIGH TENSION POWER TRANSMISSION WIRES AND FELL TO THE GROUND UNDER MARGINAL CONTROL. THE PILOT AND HELICOPTER WERE REASSIGNED FROM ANOTHER NEARBY BASE ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT AND, AT THE TIME OF THE WIRE STRIKE, THE PILOT WAS ENGAGED IN HIS FIRST OPERATIONAL SORTIE IN THE NEW AREA. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF THE PILOT HAD BEEN BRIEFED ABOUT WIRE HAZARDS IN THE AREA. A TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP THAT WAS USED IN THE BRIEFING SHOWED HIGH POWER TRANSMISSION WIRES, INCLUDING THE SET THE PILOT LATER IMPACTED, AS RED LINES. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT PROCEEDED TO THE FIRE AREA AND MADE AN INITIAL DROP ON THE FIRE. IT WAS WHILE RETURNING TO THE DIP SITE TO REFILL THAT THE WIRE STRIKE OCCURRED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AS HE APPROACHED THE DIP SITE AT 250 - 300 FEET AGL, HE WAS AWARE OF A POWER TRANSMISSION TOWER HIGH ON THE MOUNTAIN TO HIS RIGHT, WELL ABOVE HIM. HE WAS ALSO AWARE OF ANOTHER TOWER TO HIS LEFT ON THE VALLEY FLOOR BELOW AND AN ELECTRICAL POWERHOUSE ON THE VA                                                         LLEY FLOOR NEARLY IN FRONT OF HIM. HE THOUGHT THAT THE WIRES FROM BOTH THE TOWER ON HIS RIGHT AND THE TOWER ON HIS LEFT WENT TO THE POWERHOUSE AND WERE BENEATH HIM. IN FACT, THE WIRES WERE STRUNG DIRECTLY FROM THE TOWER ABOVE HIM, ON THE RIGHT, TO THE LOWER TOWER, ON HIS LEFT, AND CROSSED HIS FLIGHT PATH AT THE HELICOPTER'S ALTITUDE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND SMOKE WAS NOT PRESENT IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT. FLIGHTS FLOWN AFTER THE ACCIDENT IN LIKE CONDITIONS OF DAYLIGHT AND VISIBILITY SHOWED THE WIRES COULD NOT BE VISUALLY DETECTED UNTIL THE HELICOPTER WAS 'EXTREMELY CLOSE TO THE WIRES.'

## 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 LAX99TA299](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99TA299), Sep 9, 1999: Bell B212 (N212AR), Bakersfield, CA, destroyed. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain adequate visual surveillance to see and avoid power transmission wires known to be in the area.

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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