- Date
- February 28, 2018, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pixley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7800SBell 47G
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20180228009629A
- Case key
- 96804
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
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from the pilot’s failure to ensure that adequate fuel was on board for the flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s self-induced pressure to complete the flight due to impending rain.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, after landing and during the loading for the next chemical agricultural application flight with the engine running, he exited the helicopter to speak to the owner of the property he was spraying. He could not remember if he had instructed the ground crewman to fuel the helicopter or not. Additionally, the pilot stated that, before takeoff, he failed to check the fuel level and was unaware that the ground crewman had not refueled the helicopter. After takeoff and completing only one spray pass, the engine lost power. The pilot opined that he "just ran out of fuel." Unable to make it back to the loading area, he landed in a grove of trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot also mentioned that due to the approaching rain, he was in a hurry to get the field sprayed before it arrived. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the helicopter or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after landing and during the loading for the next chemical agricultural application flight with the engine running, he exited the helicopter to speak to the owner of the property he was spraying. He could not remember if he had instructed the ground crewman to fuel the helicopter or not. Additionally, the pilot stated that prior to takeoff he failed to check the fuel level and was unaware that the ground crewman had not refueled the helicopter. After takeoff and completing only one spray pass, the engine lost power. The pilot opined that he "just ran out of fuel." Unable to make it back to the loading area, he landed in a grove of trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter. The pilot also mentioned that due to the approaching rain, he was in a hurry to get the field sprayed before it arrived. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7800S
- Reported as
- Bell 47G (5)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7854
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 10,132
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 2017
- Departed
- Pixley, CA
- Destination
- Pixley, CA
- Equipment
- None
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
- 53
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 6, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 17,000 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- PTV, 8 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.7 MB in all.
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 N7800S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.