Bell 47G-5A N8135J

Summary

On 7 October 1996 at about 18:40 local time, a Bell 47G-5A registered N8135J was involved in an accident near King City, 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.

Date

7 October 1996 at 18:40

Classification

Accident

Location

King City, California, United States

Coordinates

36.1996, -120.9409

Aircraft

Bell 47G-5A

Registration

N8135J

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX97LA006

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm during the takeoff initial climb.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he refilled his restricted category helicopter with 80 gallons of defoliant and proceeded to take off from a farm field adjacent to a country road. He had made two previous departures from the same location and was aware of nearby power lines. During the climb over the power lines, the pilot allowed the engine, rotor rpm, and airspeed to decrease. The pilot further indicated that he attempted to regain airspeed and rpm by lowering the nose of the helicopter. His efforts were not successful, and the helicopter made a hard touchdown in the field.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.