- Date
- March 18, 1991, 16:30 local (Mar 19, 1991, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Richvale, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9894Sikorsky H-19/S55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910318006639A
- Case key
- 27142
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 failure of the engine's number 4 cylinder intake valve keeper. Trees under the helicopter at the time of the loss of engine power were factors 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 pilot stated that he was dispensing his 20th load of insect spray over almond trees. During a swath run the engine lost power and the helicopter impacted the trees and then the ground. The engine's number 4 cylinder intake valve keeper failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9894
- Reported as
- Sikorsky H-19/S55
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 55998
- Engine
- Wright R-1300, 800 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Avag, Inc.
- 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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,756 total · 1,276 in this make and model · 1,445 as pilot in command · 141 in the last 90 days · 118 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- CNO, 19 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 N9894 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.