20080129009999A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell OH-58A · Brawley, CA · January 29, 2008

Date: January 29, 2008 · 21:00 local
Place: Brawley, CA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: FAYG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N902SF
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX08CA054
Reported as: Bell OH58A
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 16,000 total6,000 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N902SFRegistration cancelled Mar 6, 2023 · Bell OH-58AS/N 70-15406 · Built 1970 Airframe modelBell OH-58A Engine modelAllison T63 seriesTurbo-shaft

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) The pilot of N902SF was conducting agricultural spraying operations at night. While flying between job sites the helicopter struck high tension power lines that were approximately 60 feet AGL. The aircraft cut through several of the wires. The pilot stated that he lost control of the helicopter and started to roll to the right. The helicopter also started to spin right which suggests a loss of the tail rotor authority. The pilot stated that he was blinded by the electrical flashes after striking the wires. The helicopter impacted the ground on the right front skid. The skid collapsed and the helicopter landed in an upright position. The helicopter was destroyed. There was no post crash fire. The pilot received minor injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT OF N902SF WAS CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING OPERATIONS AT NIGHT. WHILE FLYING BETWEEN JOB SITES THE HELICOPTER STRUCK HIGH TENSION POWER LINES THAT WERE APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET AGL. THE AIRCRAFT CUT THROUGH SEVERAL OF THE WIRES. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND STARTED TO ROLL TO THE RIGHT. THE HELICOPTER ALSO STARTED TO SPIN RIGHT WHICH SUGGESTS A LOSS OF THE TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS BLINDED BY THE ELECTRICAL FLASHES AFTER STRIKING THE WIRES. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND ON THE RIGHT FRONT SKID. THE SKID COLLAPSED AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.

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 LAX08CA054Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportBrawley, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles. A factor in the accident was the dark night conditions.Jan 30, 2008 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N902SF · 2

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

Accident 20211109018009ATakeoff: Climb Out · Holtville, CAHoltville, CA on 11/9/2021, N902SF, a Bell OH-58, struck a sprinkler in the field while performing 14CFR part 137 crop dusting operations, the helicopter subsequently crashed. The pilot was the only occupant and was un-injured during the crash, the aircraft…Nov 9, 2021 · Substantial damage Accident 20120121002419ATakeoff: Rotation · Brawley, CAAero falcon OH-58 had a rotor mast failure just pior to lift -off of the aircraft, failure was internal of the main rotor transmission no damage to aircraft noted.Jan 21, 2012 · No damage