# Accident 20010531009989A: Bell 47G4A, Bakersffield, CA, May 31, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 31, 2001, 11:30 local time - Place: Bakersffield, CA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Low Level Operations - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: PWWG - Location: 35.4292° N, 119.4898° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4292&lon=-119.4898&mi=10 - Aircraft: N110DT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N110DT-2018-06-08) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell 47G-4A (registry code 1181031, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-4a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming VO-540 series (registry code 41534, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-vo-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 47G4A - Reported engine: LYC VO540B1B3 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,400 total, 100 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA196](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA196) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010531009989A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON MAY 31, 2001, AT 1136 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 47G-4A, N110DT, CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES NEAR BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; HOWEVER, THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING OPERATED BY INLAND CROP DUSTERS, INC., AS AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 137 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED IN THE BAKERSFIELD AREA EARLIER THAT MORNING. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT WAS REPORTED BY KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES TO HAVE BEEN PERFORMING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WHEN THE HELICOPTER CRASHED. WINDS WERE REPORTED AS VARIABLE AT 3 KNOTS. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTORS FROM THE FRESNO FLIGHT STANDARD DISTRICT OFFICE REPORTED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE RESPONDING TO THE SCENE. (-23)PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATION WITH COMITE ON A CORN FIELD. DURING A PASS UNDER THE POWER LINES THE PILOT REPORTEDLY SETTLED AND HIT THE GROUND WITH A SKID RESULTING IN THE ACCIDENT. THE POWER LINES WERE ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 40 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN HE WENT UNDER THEM. DAY VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND WEATHER FOR THE BFL AIRPORT INDICATED VARIABLE AT 3 KNOTS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE INCURRED BY THE PILOT OF ANY OTHER PERSON. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED BY INSPECTOR GENE SWEET OF FAT FSDO AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE ROTOR BLADE GRIPS WERE INTACT. (.4) ON MAY 31, 2001, AT 1136 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 47G-4A, N110DT, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION TURN TO REVERSE DIRECTION NEAR BUTTONWILLOW, CALIFORNIA. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; HOWEVER, THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING OPERATED BY INLAND CROP DUSTERS, INC., AS AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 137 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED IN THE BAKERSFIELD AREA EARLIER THAT MORNING. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT WAS REPORTED BY KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES TO HAVE BEEN PERFORMING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT WHEN THE HELICOPTER CRASHED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS MAKING A SERIES OF STEEP 180-DEGREE TURNS BETWEEN AERIAL APPLICATION PASSES. HE REPORTED THAT ON THE LAST TURN THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO "SETTLE WITH POWER" AND THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO RECOVER. BY HIS ACCOUNT, WIND DIRECTION WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. WIND SPEEDS RECORDED AT BAKERSFIELD WEATHER STATION WERE VARIABLE AT 3 KNOTS. ## 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 LAX01LA196](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA196), May 31, 2001: Bell 47G-4A (N110DT), Buttonwillow, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning that resulted in settling with power during an aerial application turn-to-reverse direction and collision with the ground. Factors were high density altitude… ## Other reports on N110DT (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20050525010219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050525010219A), May 25, 2005: Bell 47G4A (N110DT), Buttonwillow, CA, Destroyed. (-23) The pilot knew that the power lines were near the edge of the field but failed to miss them as he approached the cotton field on his second pass. An… - [Accident 19980614013369A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980614013369A), Jun 14, 1998: Bell 47G4A (N110DT), Shafter, CA, Substantial damage. Bell 47G-4A helicopter made a hard landing and tipped over on its nose. St. petersburg, FL.(.4) on June 14, 1998, at 1530 hours pacific daylight time, a Bell… 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.