- Date
- April 15, 1982, 07:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Stockton, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2879BBell 47G-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820415009499A
- Case key
- 72735
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 landed to pick up a flagger and take him to the end of the field. The landing was made facing north on a north-south driveway. An overhead line was located along the east side of the driveway. During takeoff, the pilot moved laterally to the west, and then turned the helicopter to takeoff. He thought the helicopter would be clear of the overhead line; however, the tail rotor struck the wire and failed. The helicopter began to spin and the pilot initiated a hovering autorotation. During touchdown, a skid failed while the helicopter was still spinning and moving across the ground. The main rotor blades struck the ground and the helicopter was subsequently demolished.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2879B
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1692
- Airframe hours
- 6,781
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Valley Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Valley Helicopters
- Departed
- Stockton, CA
- Destination
- Stockton, 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 9,074 total · 1,038 in this make and model · 238 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 108 °F
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 N2879B · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.