- Date
- June 14, 1998, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Shafter, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N110DTBell 47G-4A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980614013369A
- Case key
- 30120
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 aircraft's encounter with settling with power, which resulted from the pilot's decision to perform a steep downwind approach.
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 reported that he made a steep downwind approach to the landing pad and the helicopter entered into settling with power (vortex ring state). He reported that he was at too low an altitude to recover and the helicopter impacted the terrain about 500 feet west of the intended landing zone. The main rotor blades severed the tail boom. The pilot reported that he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with the helicopter prior to the accident, but stated that he should have made a shallower approach.
Factual narrative
On June 14, 1998, at 1530 hours Pacific daylight time, a Bell 47G-4A, N110DT, experienced a hard landing at the Shafter-Minter Aiport in Shafter, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 137 agricultural operation.
The pilot reported that he made a normal takeoff to the northwest and climbed to approximately 300 feet agl. He then made a 180-degree turn back toward the landing area and initiated a "steeper than normal" approach to land. The helicopter began to settle with power, and the pilot reported that he was at too low an altitude to recover. The helicopter impacted the ground approximately 500 feet west of the intended landing zone and the main rotor blades severed the tail boom.
The pilot reported that he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with the helicopter prior to the accident, but stated that he should have made a shallower approach. The winds were from a direction of 280 degrees at a velocity of 9 knots. The approach was made to an approximate direction of 120 degrees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N110DT
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-4A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7631
- Airframe hours
- 9,903
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-B1B3, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Inland Crop Dusting
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 17, 1998 · 98 hours before
- Departed
- MIT · Shafter, CA
- Airport
- MIT · Shafter-Minter
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 6,940 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BFL, 10 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.
Other investigations on N110DT · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.