- Date
- December 28, 1993, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Los Banos, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N38110Texas Helicopter OH-13E/M74L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931228047319A
- Case key
- 28630
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
A failure of the pilot to utilize carburetor heat. The carburetor icing conditions were a factor 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
While applying herbicide on a cotton field utilizing a helicopter equipped with a reciprocating engine and carburetor, the engine suddenly quit. The pilot performed an autorotation to the field. During the landing, the helicopter landed hard and received damage to the landing gear, main rotor blades, and tail boom. The pilot reported that the engine power loss was due to carburetor ice.
Factual narrative
On December 28, 1993, about 1200 hours Pacific standard time, a Texas Helicopters OH-13E/M74L, N38110, crashed while maneuvering about 3 miles southeast of Los Banos, California. The helicopter was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area aerial application flight under Title 14 CFR Part 137 when the accident occurred. The helicopter, operated by Bernard Gach, Merced, California, received substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from a field near the accident.
The pilot reported that he was applying "Roundup" herbicide to a cotton field when the engine suddenly quit. The pilot indicated that the loss of engine power was due to carburetor ice. He made an emergency autorotation to the field and landed hard, damaging the landing gear, main rotors, and tail boom.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38110
- Reported as
- Texas Helicopter OH-13E/M74L (OH-13E/M74)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 77-010
- Airframe hours
- 4,550
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-D10, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Gach, Bernard
- Registered owner
- Gach, Bernard
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 18, 1993 · 91 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 10,453 total · 4,263 in this make and model · 10,400 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °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 N38110 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.