- Date
- February 15, 2000, 16:28 local (Feb 16, 2000, 00:28 UTC)
- Place
- Riverbank, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4754RBell 47G5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 2, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000215010329A
- Case key
- 48672
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to verify that ground personnel had disconnected the loading hose from the hopper before takeoff, resulting in restricted directional control and a hard landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot had landed to refill the aircraft's hopper from a truck-mounted re-supply tank. After refilling the hopper, the ground support person did not remove the loading hose from the hopper and the pilot did not verify that the hose had been removed before takeoff. After takeoff, the helicopter was pulled to the left as the hose became taught and finally snapped. The pilot applied right pedal to regain forward attitude but the helicopter lost main rotor speed and abruptly settled to the ground. The main rotor blades flapped down, striking the ground, and shattering the cockpit bubble. The lower Sprague system separated as the aircraft contacted the ground, shifting the main rotor mast. This shift moved the fuel tank and ruptured the main fuel line. The fuel spilled onto the exhaust system, resulting in a fire.
Factual narrative
On February 15, 2000, at 1628 hours Pacific standard time, a Bell 47G5, N4754R, crashed and burned during takeoff from an agricultural landing site at Riverbank, California. The helicopter sustained substantial damage; however, the certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The aircraft was being operated by Greenbelt Aviation as an aerial application flight under 14 CFR Part 137 when the accident occurred. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot had landed to refill the aircraft's hopper from a truck-mounted re-supply tank. After refilling the hopper, the pilot instructed the ground support person to reposition the truck to the next work site. The ground support person did not remove the loading hose from the hopper and the pilot did not verify that the hose had been removed before takeoff.
After takeoff, the helicopter flew about 20 to 30 feet before it was pulled to the left as the hose became taught and finally snapped. The pilot applied right pedal to regain forward attitude but, as he did so, the helicopter lost main rotor speed and abruptly settled to the ground. The main rotor blades flapped down, striking the ground, and shattering the cockpit bubble. The lower Sprague system separated as the aircraft contacted the ground, shifting the main rotor mast. This shift moved the fuel tank and ruptured the main fuel line. The fuel spilled onto the exhaust system and a fire began. After the blades stopped, the pilot exited the helicopter through the broken bubble.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4754R
- Reported as
- Bell 47G5
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7924
- Airframe hours
- 7,203
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-B1A, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Greenbelt Aviation, doing business as Greenbelt Aviation
- Registered owner
- Rodger L. Ainsworth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 16, 1999 · 20 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,513 total · 2,730 in this make and model · 5,363 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 142 °F, dew point 113 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOD, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4754R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.