- Date
- October 10, 1982, 06:55 local (13:55 UTC)
- Place
- 5nm East Of Sal, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5159BBell 47G2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 10, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821010052019A
- Case key
- 69661
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
After takeoff, during an aerial application flight, the pilot felt a sudden jolt and the engine RPM revved then decayed very rapidly. The pilot made a hard landing and the main rotor severed the tail rotor. The aircraft was within the weight and balance limitations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5159B
- Reported as
- Bell 47G2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1995
- Airframe hours
- 9,668
- Engine
- Lycoming O-435-23C-R, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Wayne D. Handley, Crop Flight,
- Registered owner
- Sean D. Tucker
- Departed
- 5nm East Of Sal, CA
- Destination
- 5nm East Of Sal, 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,644 total · 1,356 in this make and model · 3,431 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Temperature
- 122 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.