- Date
- October 31, 1992, 07:10 local (15:10 UTC)
- Place
- Gonzales, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N919SFBell 47G2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921031044439A
- Case key
- 27851
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 failure to maintain 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.
Analysis
The pilot and pilot/observer completed a spraying operation and landed the helicopter in an open field. The pilot then decided to back up. When backing up the helicopter struck some wires and crashed. The pilot reported experiencing cyclic control problems. The post accident examination disclosed no evidence of any preexisting malfunction or failure. The pilot observer did not report any flight control malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N919SF
- Reported as
- Bell 47G2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1695
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Gomes Farm Air Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Gomes Farm Air Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 30, 1992 · 3 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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,445 total · 3,900 in this make and model · 7,445 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 135° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 20 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 N919SF · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.