- Date
- July 18, 1982, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Delano, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N910PDBell 204
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 18, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820718032169A
- Case key
- 70442
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 acft was spraying for mediterranean fruit flies with another acft. Entering a "scissors" or opposite direction pattern with the second helicopter spraying in the opposite direction, the plt had to slow down in order to begin his swath at the completion of the other's run. Further reducing speed to maintain clearance, the plt lost translational lift in the prevailing tailwind. Insufficient altitude remained to recover his loss of RPM & the acft settled into the trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N910PD
- Reported as
- Bell 204
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 62-1954
- Airframe hours
- 8,839
- Engine
- Lycoming T53-11D, 1,100 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- San Joaquin Helicopters
- Registered owner
- San Joaquin Helicopters
- Departed
- 7CA0 · Berrenda Mesa, CA
- Destination
- 7CA0 · Berrenda Mesa, 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
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,150 total · 1,260 in this make and model · 2,265 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 315° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Temperature
- 223 °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 N910PD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.