- Date
- January 11, 1996, 16:00 local (Jan 12, 1996, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pope Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1309XBell 47-G5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 31, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960111029949A
- Case key
- 29366
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 misjudged the clearance between the broadcaster and the truck resulting in the broadcaster's cables becoming entangled with the truck.
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 had hovered the helicopter over the loading platform and lowered the broadcaster (bucket) onto the platform for reloading. After the ground crew loaded the broadcaster, the pilot turned the helicopter and began to depart. The broadcaster cables became entangled with the truck and the helicopter descended, uncontrolled, and crashed.
Factual narrative
On January 11, 1996, at 1600 hours Pacific standard time, a Bell 47-G5 helicopter, N1309X, crashed shortly after reloading a fertilizer broadcaster (bucket) from a loading platform near Pope Valley, California, while in a hover. The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules external load aerial application flight. The helicopter, registered to and operated by North Coast Helicopter Service, Napa, California, was destroyed by impact forces and the postimpact fire. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot had completed numerous aerial application flights and the departure time on the accident flight was not determined.
A ground witness told a Napa County Sheriff's deputy that the pilot returned from the field and hovered the helicopter over the loading platform. He lowered the broadcaster and the ground crew loaded it with fertilizer. He said that the pilot raised the broadcaster and then turned the helicopter toward the downhill slope.
The witness said that as the helicopter began to depart, a strong gust of wind pushed the helicopter back toward the loading platform and the cable from the broadcaster caught the edge of the truck. The helicopter made an abrupt left turn and descended to the ground and exploded.
An FAA airworthiness inspector from the Sacramento [California] Flight Standards District Office conducted the on-scene investigation. The inspector reported confirmed the ground witnesses statement that the helicopter's cables became entangled with the truck. He said that the surface winds were calm. He also said that the postaccident investigation disclosed no evidence of any preimpact malfunctions or failures.
The Napa County Sheriff/Coroner's Office conducted the post mortem examination on the pilot. Toxicology examinations were not performed because of the unavailability of suitable specimens.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1309X
- Reported as
- Bell 47-G5
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7818
- Airframe hours
- 8,933
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- North Coast Helicopter Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 28, 1995
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N1309X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.