- Date
- April 1, 2022, 12:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Merced, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9287UBell OH-58A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220401001759A
- Case key
- 104882
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 see and avoid wires while conducting an aerial application flight, which resulted in a wire strike and ground impact.
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 in the helicopter reported that, he was conducting an agricultural aerial application flight. Before he started the spray operation, he overflew the field to identify obstacles. While approaching the northeast corner of the fields from the south, he overflew one set of wires, “ducked down” into the corner to spray, and pulled up as he approached the edge of the field. As he pulled up, he saw wires he had not seen before and tried to hit them with the wire cutter installed on the helicopter. The helicopter impacted the wires, descended, and impacted the ground. 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
- N9287U
- Reported as
- Bell OH-58A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 71-20428
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 6,369
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C2-OC, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- American Ag Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- American Ag Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 28, 2022 · 178 hours before
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device
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
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 16, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,336 total · 647 in this make and model · 1,970 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 4.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KMCE, 10 nm away
- METAR
- KMCE 011953Z AUTO 23005KT 10SM CLR 22/03 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP134 T02170028
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 28, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 906 KB 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.