Bell 47G-5 N1375X

Summary

On 20 July 2011 at about 17:30 local time, a Bell 47G-5 registered N1375X, operated by Gomes Farm Air Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Watsonville, 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

20 July 2011 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Watsonville, California, United States

Nearest airport

None (N/A)

Coordinates

36.9089, -121.6739

Aircraft

Bell 47G-5

Registration

N1375X

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Gomes Farm Air Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salinas → Watsonville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11CA339

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a pole while maneuvering during an aerial application flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During an aerial application flight, the pilot was spraying water on a field to wash the hopper tank for the next load of chemicals. During the second pass, the pilot attempted to clear a wire that ran perpendicular to his flight path by descending beneath it at an altitude of approximately 5 feet. The pilot reported that the outer end of one main rotor blade struck the pole and the helicopter impacted the ground and rolled over.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.