- Date
- September 11, 1991, 07:58 local (14:58 UTC)
- Place
- Farmington, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N43921Texas Helicopter M74
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910911039289A
- Case key
- 27354
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
Loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. Factors related to the accident were: the excessive gross weight of the helicopter, and the pilot's improper use of flight controls due to impairment from use of a drug (marijuanna).
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
After the helicopter was reloaded with 500 lbs of sulfur, the pilot took off & departed to the northwest at an altitude of about 100 ft to continue the application mission. The ground crew reported that shortly after departure, the engine backfired several times & the helicopter began settling tail first to the ground. Ground contact separated the tail boom from the helicopter & it rotated to the left. The skids separated & the right sulfur tank ruptured. A sulfur fire erupted. The pilot exited the cockpit on the right side & was struck by the main rotor. The helicopter was loaded 69 lbs over its maximum allowable gross weight. No preimpact part failure of the helicopter or engine was found. Tests of the pilot's blood showed 0.009 ug/ml of 11-NOR-delta-9-tetrahyrdrocannabinol & 0.012 ug/ml of 11-NOR-delta-9-THC-9-carboxylic acid. A test of his urine detected 0.129 ug/ml of 11-NOR-delta-9-carboxylic acid.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43921
- Reported as
- Texas Helicopter M74
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 76-003
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Ag-Air, Inc
- Registered owner
- 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °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 N43921 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.