20170917021699A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15 · Salinas, CA · September 17, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: September 17, 2017 · 06:56 local
Place: Salinas, CA
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: LSHG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3286T
Reported as: Balloon Works Firefly 8B-15
Reported engine: NONE NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 20,000 total200 in this make and model75 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.

On 09/17/2017 at approximately 0656 PDT, N3285T, bell 47G-5, operating under 14 CFR part 137 agricultural aircraft operations was spraying a field near Salinas California. In a statement from the pilot: he took on about 85 gallons and took off to the north west under a set of high tension lines, he maneuvered away from the field to give room to line up for the first pass, and while looking up and down the road for traffic he ran into a cable between two power poles.

As the FAA filed it

ON 09/17/2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 0656 PDT, N3285T, BELL 47G-5, OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 137 AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS WAS SPRAYING A FIELD NEAR SALINAS CALIFORNIA. IN A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT: HE TOOK ON ABOUT 85 GALLONS AND TOOK OFF TO THE NORTH WEST UNDER A SET OF HIGH TENSION LINES, HE MANEUVERED AWAY FROM THE FIELD TO GIVE ROOM TO LINE UP FOR THE FIRST PASS, AND WHILE LOOKING UP AND DOWN THE ROAD FOR TRAFFIC HE RAN INTO A CABLE BETWEEN TWO POWER POLES.