- Date
- June 14, 1983, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Valley Center, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2252WBell 47G-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830614025259A
- Case key
- 23560
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 damaged during a forced landing following a power loss while engaged in aerial application. The pilot took off with 25 gallons of fuel which he said was usually enough for spraying 40-50 acres. This job was 19 acres but it was 10-12 miles away at 1400 ft MSL. Post accident investigation revealed that the acft fuel system contained only 1 pint offuel. The pilot stated that the power loss may have been the result of fuel exhaustion. No other reason for power loss was discovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2252W
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-5
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7966
- Airframe hours
- 2
- Engine
- Lycoming 435-B1A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Michael J. Markov
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 1983 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- Rancho, 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, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,726 total · 2,726 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N2252W · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.