- Date
- October 28, 1982, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Delano, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N15FCBell UH-1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 28, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821028055899A
- Case key
- 70445
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 was making a helicopter spray run and decended into trees on th irst pass after reloading. He got a low RPM light in a reduced power situation. No malfunctions were found. The pilot had made 34 similiar operations during this schedule.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15FC
- Reported as
- Bell UH-1B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 358
- Airframe hours
- 2,965
- Engine
- Lycoming T53L11D, 1,100 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- San Joaquin Helicopters
- Registered owner
- San Joaquin Helicopters
- Departed
- DLO · Delano, CA
- Destination
- DLO · Delano, CA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 35
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 5,446 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 4,993 as pilot in command · 191 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 135 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.