- Date
- August 7, 1991, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lodi, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N51855Texas Helicopter M74L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910807033089A
- Case key
- 27322
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 inflight loss of control by the pilot for undetermined reasons.
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
In his written statement, the pilot said that shortly after liftoff he heard a loud bang and 'all directional control with the cyclic was lost.' He noted that the helicopter pitched slightly to the right and impacted in a corn field. The helicopter was examined in detail by an FAA airworthiness inspector from the oakland, California, flight standards district office. According to the inspectors report, he identified no mechanical problems with the engine, drive train or control system. Fuel was found in the tanks, lines and the carburetor. He said that he found no evidence of a spray boom or rotor blade strike prior to ground impact. The inspector noted that the ground contract marks were consistent with a nearly level attitude ground impact, with about 70 feet of straight ground scars.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51855
- Reported as
- Texas Helicopter M74L
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 78-022
- Airframe hours
- 600
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1E, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Sierra Helicopter Services
- Registered owner
- Robert May
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 6, 1991 · 10 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 16,000 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 15,500 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 50 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 N51855 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.