Bell UH-1B N888SJ
11 June 1997 · Heron, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 11 June 1997 at about 01:30 local time, a Bell UH-1B registered N888SJ was involved in an accident near Heron, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Heron, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 36.2000, -120.0908
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1B
- Registration
- N888SJ
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX97LA206
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor relating to the accident was that the engine lost power when the helicopter was outside (below) the limits of the height/velocity curve.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot experienced a partial loss of engine power at a low elevation above ground level, while spraying a tomato field. He initiated an autorotative landing, and the helicopter touched down hard in the field. During the landing sequence, a main rotor blade severed the tail boom. The engine continued operating for between 10 and 12 minutes. Wreckage examination was limited due to extensive fire damage, and the reason for the power loss was not determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell UH-1B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Mar 1997 | Bell UH-1B | Labelle, Florida, United States | Colony Services, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 1996 | Bell UH-1B | Lorida, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 1996 | Bell UH-1B | Concepcion, Argentina | Manuel Prieto | Fatal | 8 |
| 7 Mar 1998 | Bell UH-1B | Hollister, California, United States | Cantrell Helicopters | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 May 1999 | Bell UH-1B | Wrangell, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | - |
| 25 Aug 1999 | Bell UH-1B | Lost Hills, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 1997 | Airbus A300 B4-203 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Pan American World Airways, In | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 1997 | Bell UH-1H | Tahoe City, California, United States | Usda / Forest Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Cessna 152 | Julian, California, United States | Plus One Flyers, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Schweizer 2-32 | Warner Springs, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Bellanca 7ECA | Tracy, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Oct 1997 | Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300 | Castaic, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |