Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate clearance from a utility pole (obstruction) during aerial application. The obstruction was a related factor.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On July 21, 1997, at 1025 hours Pacific daylight time, a Bell 47G-2, N919SF, collided with a power pole during an aerial application flight near Buttonwillow, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was destroyed in the collision sequence and postcrash fire. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The helicopter was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 137, and the flight originated from the field to be sprayed at approximately 1000.
In his written report, the pilot stated that he was spraying a cotton field that had power lines on wooden poles going through it. He stated that he was going around a pole and the main rotor blade hit the pole. The helicopter then rolled over, caught on fire, and was destroyed.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX97LA248