Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dixon, California 95620
Wednesday, August 11, 1993 10:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AN FAA INSPECTOR SAID THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN WORKING THE FIELD FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS DISPENSING INSECTICIDES. THE PILOT DEPARTED THE TRUCK AFTER REFUELING TO FINISH THE REMAINING CORNER OF THE FIELD BEING SPRAYED. THE FIELD IS BORDERED BY A SET OF POWER LINES ON WOODEN POLES WITH A WIRE HEIGHT ABOUT 40 FEET AGL. THE PILOT WAS FLYING UNDER THE POWER LINES DURING HIS SPRAY RUNS. THE LAST TWO POLES HAD A ONE QUARTER INCH GUY WIRE STRUNG BETWEEN THEM ABOUT HALF WAY UP THE POLES. ON THE FINAL PASS IN THE FIELD, THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE GUY WIRE. BASED ON HIS INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE AND WITNESS OBSERVATIONS, THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH THE WIRE AT A POINT BETWEEN THE ROTOR HUB AND THE SWASH PLATE ASSEMBLY, BREAKING THE PITCH CHANGE LINKS. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN PARTIAL CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND WAS ATTEMPTING A RUN ON LANDING CROSS FURROW IN A TOMATO FIELD ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE WIRE STRIKE. THE HELICOPTER SKIDS CAUGHT ON BOTH THE PLANTS AND THE SOFT FURROWS AND TUMBLED TO A STOP.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the failure of the pilot to visually detect and avoid the guy wire.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/11/1993 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1045 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | DIXON |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95620 |
| Event Date Year | 1993 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 935 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 11 1993 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1155 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 1:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N100LM |
| NTSB Number | LAX93LA319 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HILLER |
| Aircraft Model | UH-12E |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | UH-12E |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1583 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2750 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 8 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 9 |
| Airframe Hours | 7635 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JIM & CAROL MILLER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 20 WALNUT STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | COLUSA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95932 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PACIFIC VALLEY AVIATION, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | ARBUCKLE AIRSTRIP |
| Operator City | ARBUCKLE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 95932 |
| Operator Code | NHLG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1025 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |