What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On January 18, 2000, about 1630 hours pacific standard time, a bell OH-58C, N436SD, collided with flat agricultural terrain while spraying a field in Brawley, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The aircraft was being operated by ag flite, inc., as an aerial application flight under 14 CFR part 137 when the accident occurred. The flight originated from a mobile helipad located at the work site about 1628 on the afternoon of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he was making a turn about 10 feet AGL when the aircraft struck the ground. He said that he did not recall experiencing any problems prior to the crash. No other witnesses have been identified. (-23) the OH-58C helicopter collided with the ground while dispensing chemicals during an agricultural spraying mission. The aircraft was approximately one-third the span of the field in level flight, approximately 50 knots, 3-feet altitude, when the accident occurred. VMC and calm winds prevailed at the time. The pilot, after sustaining m inor injuries, claims to have no recollection of events just prior to, or during, the accident. An inspection of the aircraft wreckage and engine revealed fibrous contaminants in the fuel system, all the way to the fuel controller. The lack of rotational signatures in the engine indicaes engine power loss, privacy data omitted . The fuel truck filters did not contain the same contaminants and the source of fuel contamination could not be determined. (.4) on January 18, 2000, about 1630 hours pacific standard time, a bell OH-58C, N436SD, collided with flat agricultural terrain while spraying a field in Brawley, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The aircraft was being operated by ag flite, inc., as an aerial application flight under 14 CFR part 137 when the accident occurred. The flight originated from a mobile helipad located at the work site about 1628 on the afternoon of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he was making a tu rn about 10 feet above ground level when the aircraft struck the ground. He said that he did not recall experiencing any problems prior to the crash. No other witnesses have been identified. An inspection of the wreckage revealed contamination in the fuel system. A fibrous material was found through the system including the high pressure fuel filter. The federal aviation administration report stated that there was a lack of rotational signatures in the engine. The operator did not provide a written report of the accident on NTSB form 6120.1/2.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON JANUARY 18, 2000, ABOUT 1630 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BELL OH-58C, N436SD, COLLIDED WITH FLAT AGRICULTURAL TERRAIN WHILE SPRAYING A FIELD IN BRAWLEY, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY AG FLITE, INC., AS AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 137 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A MOBILE HELIPAD LOCATED AT THE WORK SITE ABOUT 1628 ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS MAKING A TURN ABOUT 10 FEET AGL WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT RECALL EXPERIENCING ANY PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE CRASH. NO OTHER WITNESSES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. (-23) THE OH-58C HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND WHILE DISPENSING CHEMICALS DURING AN AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING MISSION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD THE SPAN OF THE FIELD IN LEVEL FLIGHT, APPROXIMATELY 50 KNOTS, 3-FEET ALTITUDE, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. VMC AND CALM WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE PILOT, AFTER SUSTAINING M INOR INJURIES, CLAIMS TO HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF EVENTS JUST PRIOR TO, OR DURING, THE ACCIDENT. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE AND ENGINE REVEALED FIBROUS CONTAMINANTS IN THE FUEL SYSTEM, ALL THE WAY TO THE FUEL CONTROLLER. THE LACK OF ROTATIONAL SIGNATURES IN THE ENGINE INDICAES ENGINE POWER LOSS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ . THE FUEL TRUCK FILTERS DID NOT CONTAIN THE SAME CONTAMINANTS AND THE SOURCE OF FUEL CONTAMINATION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. (.4) ON JANUARY 18, 2000, ABOUT 1630 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BELL OH-58C, N436SD, COLLIDED WITH FLAT AGRICULTURAL TERRAIN WHILE SPRAYING A FIELD IN BRAWLEY, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY AG FLITE, INC., AS AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 137 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A MOBILE HELIPAD LOCATED AT THE WORK SITE ABOUT 1628 ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS MAKING A TU RN ABOUT 10 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT RECALL EXPERIENCING ANY PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THE CRASH. NO OTHER WITNESSES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. AN INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. A FIBROUS MATERIAL WAS FOUND THROUGH THE SYSTEM INCLUDING THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL FILTER. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION REPORT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF ROTATIONAL SIGNATURES IN THE ENGINE. THE OPERATOR DID NOT PROVIDE A WRITTEN REPORT OF THE ACCIDENT ON NTSB FORM 6120.1/2.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.