- Date
- May 9, 1988, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Firebaugh, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N117HAHiller 12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 26, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880509063719A
- Case key
- 25744
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
During an aerial application, the helicopter collided with a guy wire and then a field. The pilot knew that the wire was there. He stated that he simply forgot that it was there and did not see it. There were no mechanical problems prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N117HA
- Reported as
- Hiller 12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- HA 3017
- Airframe hours
- 4,569
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Patterson Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Patterson Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 8, 1987 · 79 hours before
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 19,400 total · 6,050 in this make and model · 19,150 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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 N117HA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.