# Accident 20030613011409A: Bell 47G4, Portervill, CA, June 13, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 13, 2003, 09:51 local time
- Place: Portervill, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: HZEG
- Location: 36.0297° N, 119.0628° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0297&lon=-119.0628&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9017N, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9017N-2014-11-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47G-4 (registry code 1181030, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming VO-540 series (registry code 41534, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-vo-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47G4
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 17,000 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX03LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03LA197) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030613011409A

## Narrative

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

(-23) AFTER COMPLETING APPLICATION ON A FIELD THE PILOT RETURNED TO TRUCK FOR FUEL AND CHEMICAL FOR THE NEXT CORN FIELD. INSTEAD OF FLYING WEST TO THE NEXT FIELD TO BE SPRAYED, THE PILOT FLEW SW AND THEN BEGAN A LEFT TURNING ARC EVENTUALLY HEADING NORTH, PARALLELING A N-S ROAD (APPROX. 1/2 MILE FROM HIS LAST TAKEOFF), FLYING AT TREETOP LEVEL ABOVE A CITRUS ORCHARD. AFTER PULLING UP TO CLEAR HIGH LINE WIRES RUNNING E-W AT THE EDGE OF THE ORCHARD, THE HELO MADE A QUICK LEFT PEDAL TURN TO FACE WEST, AND THEN ANOTHER QUICK LEFT PEDAL TURN TO THE SOUTH, AT WHICH TIME THE HELO ENTERED A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND DESCENDED RAPIDLY TO THE GROUND AND CRASHED.

## 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 LAX03LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX03LA197), Jun 13, 2003: Bell 47-G4 (N9017N), Porterville, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: loss of control for undetermined reasons.

## Other reports on N9017N (1)

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

- [Accident 19840223004939A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19840223004939A), Feb 23, 1984: Bell 47G4A (N9017N), Dixon, CA, Destroyed. Helicopter crashed during attempted emergency landing during crop dusting operation.

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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