- Date
- May 25, 2005, 08:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bakersfield, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N110DTBell 47G-4A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20050525010219A
- Case key
- 61582
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 visual lookout and failure to maintain clearance from the power lines.
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 helicopter collided with power lines and crashed in a cotton field while conducting aerial application operations. The pilot completed his first pass from west to east across the north end of the potato field. As he came in for his second pass, the helicopter struck power lines that ran north and south along the west side of the potato field. The helicopter came down in an adjacent cotton field. The pilot said he saw the power lines just prior to striking them.
Factual narrative
On May 25, 2005, about 0800 Pacific daylight time, a Bell 47G-4A, N110DT, collided with power lines and crashed in a cotton field while conducting aerial application operations near Bakersfield, California. Inland Crop Dusters, Inc., was operating the local area agricultural flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries; the helicopter was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Shafter Field in Bakersfield at 0700. The approximate global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the primary wreckage were 35 degrees 23 minutes north latitude and 119 degrees 19 minutes west longitude.
In a written statement, the operator said the pilot was conducting aerial application operations over a potato field. The pilot completed his first pass from west to east across the north end of the potato field. As he came in for his second pass, the helicopter struck power lines that ran north and south along the west side of the potato field. The helicopter came down in an adjacent cotton field, lifted back off the ground, flipped over, and hit the ground again, bursting into flames.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) representative spoke with the pilot. The pilot stated that he saw the power lines just prior to striking them.
The operator submitted a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2).
The pilot stated that the helicopter and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N110DT
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-4A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7631
- Airframe hours
- 10,128
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-B1B3, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Inland Crop Dusters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2005 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- KMIT · Shafter, CA
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
- 42
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,531 total · 120 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- BFL, 16 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 2, 2006, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 259 KB in all.
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 N110DT · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.