- Date
- December 11, 1987, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Petaluma, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N51843Texas Helicopter Wasp/M74L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871211079149A
- Case key
- 25757
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 flight, while on the last pass, the aircraft struck a power line that became entangled in the rotor blades. The pilot was unable to maintain control of the aircraft and collided with the terrain. There were no reported mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51843
- Reported as
- Texas Helicopter Wasp/M74L
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 78-014
- Airframe hours
- 1,291
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 137
- Operator
- Wilder, Steven, doing business as North Coast Helicopters
- Registered owner
- North Coast Helicopter Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 6, 1987 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- Petaluma, 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
- 47
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 5,800 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STS, 14 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 N51843 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.