# Accident 20030719014569A: Bell 47G2A, Tulare, CA, July 19, 2003

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 19, 2003, 23:30 local time
- Place: Tulare, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only)
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: YL7G
- Location: 36.2002° N, 119.3361° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Tulare, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.2002&lon=-119.3361&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4774S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4774S-2018-03-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47G-2A (registry code 1181012, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming VO-435 series (registry code 41525, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-vo-435-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47G2A
- Reported engine: LYC VO435*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 6,500 total, 6,000 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030719014569A

## Narrative

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

(-23) PILOT LIFTED OFF FROM TRAILER TO CONDUCT AGRICULTURAL SPRAY OPERATIONS AFTER REFUELING. AT APPROXIMATELY 20' AGL AND 30 KIAS TO 40 KIAS, ENGINE OVERSPEED OCCURRED AND HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE AIRFRAME VIBRATION ACCOMPANIED BY LOUD NOISE FROM TRANSMISSION. HELICOPTER YAWED 90 DEGREES LEFT AND SETTLED INTO COTTON FIELD IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE. GROUND IMPACT OCCURRED AT 20 KIAS AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED TO THE RIGHT COMING TO REST PARTIALLY INVERTED SUPPORTED BY THE MAST AND ROTORHEAD. INSPECTION OF THE TRANSMISSION DETERMINED THE ROTOR DRIVE FLANGE SHEAR SCREWS HAD SHEARED. SHEAR SCREWS APPEARED TO BE PROPERLY INSTALLED. NO FOREIGN MATERIAL WAS FOUND IN THE TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION APPEARED TO BE ADEQUATELY LUBRICATED.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

## Other reports on N4774S (2)

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

- [Accident 20150227001849A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150227001849A), Feb 27, 2015: Bell 47G-2A (N4774S), Ivanhoe, CA, Destroyed. While performing aerial application, the rotorcraft struck a power line and crashed in an orange grove. Just prior to the accident the PIC had noticed workers…
- [Accident 19770419008909A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19770419008909A), Apr 19, 1977: Bell 47G2A (N4774S), Lake Wales, FL, Substantial damage. Rotor RPM decayed during evasive maneuver to avoid wires

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.