# Accident 20090429004569A: Bell OH58A, Arvin, CA, April 29, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 29, 2009, 18:45 local time
- Place: Arvin, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: CUFA
- Location: 35.3086° N, 118.8378° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.3086&lon=-118.8378&mi=10
- Aircraft: N175SJ (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL OH58A
- Reported engine: ALLSN T63*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,670 total, 1,050 in this make and model, 80 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR09CA220](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09CA220) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090429004569A

## Narrative

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

(-23)  WHILE CONDUCTING AN AERIAL APPLICATION, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A POWER LINE WITH ITS TAIL ROTOR.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE CONDUCTED A PRIOR INSPECTION OF THE FIELD REVEALING THERE WERE 2 SETS OF WIRES CROSSING HIS PATH.  THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING AT APPROX 5 FT AGL.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SAW THE FIRST SET OF WIRES AND STARTED A CLIMB TO CLEAR THE FIRST SET OF WIRES (25 FT HEIGHT).  THE HELICOPTER TAIL ROTOR AND LOWER VERTICAL STABILIZED MADE CONTACT WITH THE WIRE CAUSING THE TAIL ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT.  THE PILOT TRIED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND SET DOWN THE HELICOPTER BUT DUE TO THE UNCONTROLLABLE YAW THE HELICOPTER STRUCK A SECOND SET OF POWER LINES WITH ITS MAIN ROTOR.  THE AIRCRAFT'S MAIN ROTOR SEPARATED AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STANDSTILL IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION.

## 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 WPR09CA220](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09CA220), Apr 30, 2009: Bell OH-58A (N175SJ), Arvin, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from wires during aerial application maneuvers.

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.