- Date
- February 19, 1982, 06:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Brawley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4021ABell 47G2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 19, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820219005129A
- Case key
- 70020
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 visually checked the gas tank before takeoff and estimated there was about 1/4 tank of fuel. He then started the engine and hovered over to the water tanker and loaded 60 gallons of water in the spray tank in order to calibrate the number of gallons per acre the rig sprayed. After spraying some water on the ground he asked the tanker operator to refuel his helicopter but was told that would be impossible since the pump was inoperable. The mechanic looked in the gas tank and told the pilot it was ok to move to the gas pump. The pilot picked up the helicopter and moved to an adjacent wheat field to spray out the remaining water at which time the engine failed to produce power. The helicopter was autorotated from an estimated 7 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4021A
- Reported as
- Bell 47G2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1879
- Airframe hours
- 4,936
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1D, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 137
- Operator
- Mar Aviation
- Registered owner
- Mar Aviation
- Departed
- Brawley, CA
- Destination
- Brawley, 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 23,800 total · 4 in this make and model · 9,999 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 140 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IPL, 12 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 N4021A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.