- Date
- June 18, 1995, 10:17 local (17:17 UTC)
- Place
- Nipomo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N115BBell 47G-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950618017359A
- Case key
- 29120
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 improper handling of the helicopter by her failure to maintain an adequate airspeed for the attempted maneuver resulting in an uncontrolled descent and subsequent collision with the ground.
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 lost control during a maneuvering turn and collided with a cultivated field during aerial application of a category ii fungicide. The helicopter was in a downwind condition during the turn and settled to the ground. The helicopter had about 50 gallons of fungicide onboard at the time of the accident. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter before the accident.
Factual narrative
On June 18, 1995, at 1017 hours Pacific daylight time, a Bell 47G-2 helicopter, N115B, collided with the ground following an in-flight loss of control during aerial application of a Category II fungicide on a celery field near Nipomo, California. The helicopter was being operated by English Air Service under 14 CFR Part 137 when the accident occurred. The helicopter was destroyed. The airline transport pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
According to the operator, the helicopter was in a downwind condition during a maneuvering turn and settled to the ground. The accident occurred during the second pass on the second run of the day. The operator estimated the helicopter had approximately 50 gallons of fungicide onboard at the time of the accident.
The pilot indicated on the Pilot/Operator Accident Report, that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter before the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N115B
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 35
- Airframe hours
- 8,567
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- English Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 1, 1995 · 10 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
- 45
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,900 total · 100 in this make and model · 11,721 as pilot in command · 270 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMX, 9 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.