- Date
- October 8, 1996, 09:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Rita, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N51582Texas Helicopter OH-13E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961008047149A
- Case key
- 29658
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 inadequate preflight inspection of the helicopter.
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
Following a landing next to his service truck, the pilot got out of the helicopter to speak with the farmer. The pilot said that both he and the loader failed to notice that the 50-foot loading hose was still attached to the helicopter. He lifted off with the helicopter tethered by the hose. When the hose became taunt, the helicopter rolled over, descended, and collided with level terrain.
Factual narrative
On October 8, 1996, at 0915 hours Pacific daylight time, a Texas Helicopter OH-13E, N51582, collided with terrain after an in-flight loss of control during the initial takeoff climb about 2 miles west of Santa Rita, California. The helicopter sustained substantial damage and the certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The helicopter was being operated by Gomes Farm Air Service, Salinas, California, as an aerial application flight under 14 CFR Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
According to the pilot, following a landing next to his service truck, he got out of the helicopter to speak with the farmer. His loader serviced the helicopter with a pesticide. The pilot said that both he and the loader failed to notice the 50-foot loading hose was still attached to the helicopter. He lifted off with the helicopter tethered by the hose. When the hose became taunt, the helicopter rolled over, descended and collided with level terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51582
- Reported as
- Texas Helicopter OH-13E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 78-020
- Airframe hours
- 5,678
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Gomes Farm Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 8, 1996 · 30 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 9,800 total · 400 in this make and model · 9,750 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SNS, 5 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.