Bell 47G-3B N73240
7 February 1995 · China Lake, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 7 February 1995 at about 19:00 local time, a Bell 47G-3B registered N73240 was involved in an accident near China Lake, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- China Lake, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.5496, -117.6690
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-3B
- Registration
- N73240
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Inyokern → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX95LA100
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
the pilot's misjudgement of the clearance between the main rotor and a tree while maneuvering at low altitude to herd animals.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT WAS HERDING HORSES FOR A BLM CONTRACT IN A DESERT AREA AND PERFORMED A DESCENDING TURN IN FRONT OF THE ANIMALS TO TURN THEM IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. DURING THE TURN, THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR STRUCK A JOSHUA TREE AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov 1995 | Bell 47G-4A | Pacific Ocean | Z Fishing Company | No injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 1995 | Bell 47G | Union City, Tennessee, United States | Gordon Wade | No injuries | - |
| 10 Sep 1995 | Bell 47G-3B2 | Yuma, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 1995 | Bell 47G-3B1 | Union Church, Mississippi, United States | Ward Aviation, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Feb 1995 | Bell 47G-4A | El Indio, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Aug 1995 | Bell 47 | Arlington Hts, Illinois, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 1995 | Ed Bergreen KIS | San Leandro, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1995 | Spreuer COZY | Oceanside, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 1995 | Cessna 182P | Susanville, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 1995 | Cessna 150M | Turlock, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 1995 | Piper PA-28-181 | Palm Springs, California, United States | Alan L. Kaplan | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 1995 | Piper PA-34-200 | Avalon, California, United States | Aero Club | No injuries | - |