What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 3, 2013 a Bell 47G5A was approaching a field to spray a herbicide called "prowl". The aircraft approached the field of new garlic going under the 40 foot power lines and the rotor disc hit a wooded pole at about 10 feet off the ground and sheared it off. The resulting strike on the helicopter caused the aircraft to hit nose first into the garlic field. The rotor blades and tail section separated from the aircraft and were laying adjacent to the main cabin of the helicopter. The flight was conducted under FAR 137 by mid-cal ag aviation inc., located in kerman CA. The weather conditions were VMC and no flight plan was filed. Substantial damage to the helicopter. Minor injury to the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 3, 2013 A BELL 47G5A WAS APPROACHING A FIELD TO SPRAY A HERBICIDE CALLED "PROWL". THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE FIELD OF NEW GARLIC GOING UNDER THE 40 FOOT POWER LINES AND THE ROTOR DISC HIT A WOODED POLE AT ABOUT 10 FEET OFF THE GROUND AND SHEARED IT OFF. THE RESULTING STRIKE ON THE HELICOPTER CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO HIT NOSE FIRST INTO THE GARLIC FIELD. THE ROTOR BLADES AND TAIL SECTION SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE LAYING ADJACENT TO THE MAIN CABIN OF THE HELICOPTER. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER FAR 137 BY MID-CAL AG AVIATION INC., LOCATED IN KERMAN CA. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VMC AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER. MINOR INJURY TO THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N14841 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.