Summary
On October 18, 2019, a Bell 47G (N7060J) was involved in an accident near King City, CA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing and the main rotor blades striking the tailboom.
The helicopter pilot reported that, while conducting an agricultural application flight, he planned to fly over the top of the power pole. He applied full up collective to climb over the power lines, but the helicopter struggled to gain altitude. After clearing the pole, the main rotor speed got slow, the helicopter "quit flying", and he decided to conduct a run on landing on the field. The helicopter landed hard and the main rotor blades struck the tailboom.
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
This accident is documented in NTSB report GAA20CA034. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7060J.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing and the main rotor blades striking the tailboom.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The helicopter pilot reported that, while conducting an agricultural application flight, he planned to fly over the top of the power pole. He applied full up collective to climb over the power lines, but the helicopter struggled to gain altitude. After clearing the pole, the main rotor speed got slow, the helicopter "quit flying", and he decided to conduct a run on landing on the field. The helicopter landed hard and the main rotor blades struck the tailboom.
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA20CA034