20051002024039A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Pixley, CA · October 2, 2005

Date: October 2, 2005 · 09:18 local
Place: Pixley, CA
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: YL7G
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N201SC
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX06CA002
Reported as: Bell 206B
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 25,000 total300 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) N201SC, a Bell 206B helicopter crashed after striking a power pole support wire during aerial application, one mile south of Pixley, calif. Aircraft came to rest inside an empty irrigation canal. Aircraft landed on left side, nearly inverted, and was destroyed. The pilot escaped aircraft on his own with serious injuries, and called for help using his cell phone.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N201SC, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER CRASHED AFTER STRIKING A POWER POLE SUPPORT WIRE DURING AERIAL APPLICATION, ONE MILE SOUTH OF PIXLEY, CALIF. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INSIDE AN EMPTY IRRIGATION CANAL. AIRCRAFT LANDED ON LEFT SIDE, NEARLY INVERTED, AND WAS DESTROYED. THE PILOT ESCAPED AIRCRAFT ON HIS OWN WITH SERIOUS INJURIES, AND CALLED FOR HELP USING HIS CELL PHONE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX06CA002Accident · Serious injuriesData collectionFinal reportPixley, CAthe pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the wire during a low altitude aerial application flight.Oct 2, 2005 · Substantial damage