- Date
- April 4, 2003, 05:55 local (13:55 UTC)
- Place
- Calipatria, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N38FABell OH-58A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20030404010269A
- Case key
- 56777
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 inadequate preflight inspection of the helicopter, and an inadvertent dynamic rollover during takeoff-initial climb, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.
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 accident flight was the first flight of the day for commercial certificated pilot. He was relieving the owner/pilot, who had exited the helicopter and left it running, with a 50-foot loading hose connected to the right side of the helicopter just aft of the entry door. The helicopter was being loaded with product prior to an aerial application flight. The accident pilot boarded the helicopter from the right side, and prepared for takeoff. He observed the loader walking away from the helicopter, but failed to notice that the 50-foot loading hose was still attached. As the pilot executed the takeoff, the hose became taut, and it pulled the helicopter down until the main rotor blades collided with the ground. The helicopter rolled over and came to rest on its right side, 180 degrees from the departure path.
Factual narrative
On April 4, 2003, about 0555 Pacific standard time, a Bell OH-58A, N38FA, collided with terrain after an in-flight loss of control during the initial takeoff climb near Calipatria, California. Farm Aviation, Inc., was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The local aerial application flight departed about 0555 from a dirt road 8 miles west of Calipatria. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 33 degrees 07 minutes north latitude and 115 degrees 40 minutes west longitude.
The accident flight was the first flight of the day for accident pilot. The accident pilot was relieving the owner/pilot. The owner/pilot exited, and left the helicopter running. He briefed the accident pilot while ground personnel serviced the helicopter. The 50-foot loading hose connected to the right side of the helicopter just aft of the entry door.
The accident pilot boarded the helicopter from the right side, and prepared for takeoff. He observed the loader walking away from the helicopter. However, he failed to notice that the 50-foot loading hose was still attached. As the pilot executed the takeoff, he removed the slack from the loading hose. When the hose became taut, it pulled the helicopter down until the main rotor blades collided with the ground. The helicopter rolled over and came to rest on its right side, 180 degrees from the departure path.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38FA
- Reported as
- Bell OH-58A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 70-15448
- Airframe hours
- 6,840
- Engine
- Allison T63-A720, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Farm Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · April 2, 2003 · 4.8 hours before
- Departed
- Calipatria, CA
- Airport
- CLR · Cliff Hatfield Memorial
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 27, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 23,700 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 23,700 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KNJK, 20 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 N38FA · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.