# Accident 20010209002979A: Bell 47G3B1, Winterhaven, CA, February 9, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 9, 2001, 19:00 local time - Place: Winterhaven, CA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Aerial Taxi From Ldg/Rtrcrft - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: SZDG - Location: 33.7108° N, 116.2293° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7108&lon=-116.2293&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3084G, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3084G-2020-10-03) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell 47G-3B-1 (registry code 1181028, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-3b-1) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 47G3B1 - Reported engine: LYC TVO435B1A - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 18,930 total, 2,500 in this make and model, 52 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA098](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA098) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010209002979A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23)SEE ATTACHED NARRATIVE PTRS #LAX01LA098 (19) ON FEBRUARY 9, 2001, ABOUT 1900 HOURS MST, A BELL 47-G3B1, N3084G, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND FOLLOWING A DRIVE TRAIN FAILURE NEAR WINTERHAVEN, CA. DURING AN AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING OPERATION. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY SUNDOWN HELICOPTERS, INC., OF YUMA, AZ., AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT WHICH WAS OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 137. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS APPLYING CHEMICALS TO A FIELD OF LETTUCE AND HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM HIS TRUCK PLATFORM WITH 60 GALLONS OF CHEMICALS. HE SAID THAT HE WAS ABOUT 20 FEET AGL AND HAD A FORWARD AIR SPEED OF APPROX. 30 MILES PER HOUR WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD SCREECHING SOUND, FOLLOWED BY A YAW TO THE LEFT, A RAPID DECAY OF ROTOR RPM AND AN INCREASE/OVERSPEED IN ENGINE RPM. THE HELICOPTER THEN COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. (.4) ON FEBRUARY 9, 2001, ABOUT 1900 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A BELL 47-G3B1, N3084G, LANDED HARD NEAR WINTERHAVEN, CALIFORNIA, FOLLOWING A DRIVE TRAIN FAILURE DURING A NIGHT AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING OPERATION. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY SUNDOWN HELICOPTERS, INC., OF YUMA, ARIZONA, AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT, WHICH WAS OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 137. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS APPLYING CHEMICALS TO A FIELD OF LETTUCE AND HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM HIS TRUCK PLATFORM WITH 60 GALLONS OF CHEMICALS. HE SAID THAT HE WAS ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND HAD A FORWARD AIR SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES PER HOUR WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD SCREECHING SOUND, FOLLOWED BY A YAW TO THE LEFT, A RAPID DECAY OF ROTOR RPM, AND AN INCREASE/OVERSPEED IN ENGINE RPM. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD, COLLAPSING THE SKIDS. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS CONDUCTED ON FEBRUARY 10, 2001. EXAMINATION OF THE FREE WHEELING UNIT REVEALED THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE INNER GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS WORN BELOW ALLOWABLE LIMITS AT THE ROLLER/GEAR OPERATING SURFACE. NO OTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. ## 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 LAX01LA098](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA098), Feb 10, 2001: Bell 47-G3B1 (N3084G), Winterhaven, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A failure of the transmission free wheeling unit due to improper maintenance. A factor was the dark night visual condition. ## Other reports on N3084G (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19981204039129A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981204039129A), Dec 4, 1998: Bell 47G3B1 (N3084G), Winterhaven, CA, Substantial damage. (-23) Agricultural operator had just received a 30-40 gallon fuel load and had taken on a 50 gallon load of pesticide. After taking off and leveling at… - [Accident 19800907040709A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800907040709A), Sep 7, 1980: Bell 47G3B1 (N3084G), Bellflower, CA, Substantial damage. Engine quit while banner-towing, due to fuel exhaustion. Crash-landed in residential street. - [Accident 19741121037609A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19741121037609A), Nov 21, 1974: Bell 47G3B1 (N3084G), Joshua Tree, CA, Substantial damage. Lndg at 6500 ft,lost lift,hard lndg. Wind & direction variable 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.