- Date
- September 26, 1992, 09:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Coachella, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N57BAHiller UH-12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920926038979A
- Case key
- 27775
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 pilot's inadequate visual lookout and his failure to maintain an adequate clearance from the wires.
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.
In flight collision with object
Object - wire,transmission
Visual lookout - inadequateCause
Clearance - not maintainedCause
Analysis
The helicopter struck power lines bordering a farm field while performing an aerial application run.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57BA
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2131
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-B1A, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- West Farm Air, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Aries Enterprises
- 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.