- Date
- February 18, 2020, 19:15 local (Feb 19, 2020, 03:15 UTC)
- Place
- Colexico, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N288NSBell OH 58A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200218000199A
- Case key
- 100969
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 failure to arrest the descent rate while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
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, during an agricultural application flight, he sprayed a row on the field and then climbed the helicopter to avoid wires on the south side of the field. He then turned the helicopter right and began to descend back to the field. After he cleared the wires, he entered the field's spray line and began raising the collective and noticed that the torque gauge was responding; however, he failed to arrest the descent, and the helicopter subsequently impacted terrain and came to rest on its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot reported that during an aerial application flight, he sprayed a row on the field and climbed to avoid wires on the south side of the field. He then made a right turn and began his descent back to the field. After he cleared the wires, he entered the field on the spray line and began raising the collective. He noticed that the torque gauge was responding, however, the rate of descent was not being halted and the helicopter subsequently impacted the ground and came to rest on its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N288NS
- Reported as
- Bell OH 58A (No Series)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 70-15288
- Built
- 1970
- Airframe hours
- 11,218
- Engine
- Rolls Royce C20C SERIES, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- A Farmer Service Corp
- Registered owner
- Amador Fernandez Jr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 28, 2019 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- IPL · Imperial, CA
- Destination
- IPL · Imperial, CA
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 11, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,713 total · 713 in this make and model · 2,583 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F
- Observed at
- IPL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 6, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 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 N288NS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.