- Date
- February 7, 1995, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- China Lake, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N73240Bell 47G-3B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950207001429A
- Case key
- 29028
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 misjudgement of the clearance between the main rotor and a tree while maneuvering at low altitude to herd animals.
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 was herding horses for a blm contract in a desert area and performed a descending turn in front of the animals to turn them in a different direction. During the turn, the helicopter's main rotor struck a joshua tree and the aircraft rolled over.
Factual narrative
On February 7, 1995, about 1100 Pacific standard time, a Bell 47G-3B helicopter, N73240, collided with a Joshua tree while herding horses and burros near the China Lake Naval Weapons Center, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by High Desert Helicopters of Fallon, Nevada, under 14 CFR Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter incurred substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at the Inyokern, California, airport about 0830 hours on the day of the accident.
The pilot said he was herding horses and performed a descending turn in front of the animals to turn them in a different direction. During the turn, the helicopters main rotor struck a Joshua tree and the aircraft rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73240
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2772
- Airframe hours
- 2,167
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-B1A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clifford J. Heaverne
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 3, 1995 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- IYK · Inyokern, CA
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 27,000 total · 15,000 in this make and model · 26,000 as pilot in command · 74 in the last 90 days · 53 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °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 N73240 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.