- Date
- March 9, 1991, 16:30 local (Mar 10, 1991, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Farmington, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N59403Bell 47G-5A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910309004819A
- Case key
- 27136
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The contamination of the engine induction air filter. Soft terrain during the touchdown was a factor in the accident.
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 engine power reduced during a procedure turnaround as the aircraft was dispensing liquid fertilizer. The helicopter settled into soft terrain and the main rotor blade severed the tail boom. The helicopter then impacted the ground. Examination of the engine's air filter disclosed evidence of liquid fertilizer clogging the filter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59403
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-5A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 25140
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-81A, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Ag-Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 10,000 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °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 N59403 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.