- Date
- March 2, 2023, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Orland, CA · Orchard
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N234SJBell UH-1B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Fuel exhaustion
- 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
- FAA report
- 20230302001889A
- Case key
- 106831
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 fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a loss of engine power.
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 the final run for the aerial application flight, he noticed the engine spooling down. He attempted to land on a nearby road but collided with the terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter or engine that would have precluded normal operation and that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N234SJ
- Reported as
- Bell UH-1B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 388
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 8,295
- Engine
- Lycoming T53-L-13B, 1,200 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Porter Flying Services Inc, doing business as Agricultural
- Registered owner
- Porter Flying Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 14, 2023
- Departed
- Chico, CA
- Destination
- Chicoc, CA
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 21,000 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KCIC, 14 nm away
- METAR
- KCIC 022247Z 15009KT 10SM CLR 13/M01 A3009
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 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 N234SJ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.