Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Plowed Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
San Ardo, California 93450
Monday, February 10, 1992 10:00 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF AN ELECTRICAL POWER OUTAGE IN THE AREA. HE HAD THREE POWER COMPANY PATROLMEN ON BOARD. AFTER PATROLLING VARIOUS POWER LINES AND SPUR CONNECTIONS, THEY CAME TO A POLE THAT THE PATROLMAN IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT WANTED TO INSPECT MORE CLOSELY. AFTER HOVERING NEAR THE POLE FOR A SHORT TIME PATROLMAN ASKED IF THEY COULD LAND. THE PILOT SAID HE INSPECTED THE LANDING AREA, CHOOSING A FAIRLY LEVEL SPOT AND TOUCHED DOWN. AS HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE, THE SKIDS SANK INTO THE SOIL. STABILIZING THE HELICOPTER WITH CYCLIC, HE TOLD TWO PATROLMEN ON THE LEFT SIDE TO DEPLANE. THEY DISEMBARKED, CLOSING THE DOORS. SUDDENLY THE SOIL UNDER THE LEFT REAR SKID TUBE GAVE WAY AND THE HELICOPTER TIPPED LEFT AND TO THE REAR, WHERE THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO ROLL LEFT AND THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE GROUND REVEALED THAT IT WAS SOFT, RECENTLY PLOWED DIRT MOIST FROM RECENT RAIN.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO LAND IN A PLOWED FIELD MADE SOFT FROM WINTER RAIN SHOWER ACTIVITY.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/10/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1000 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | SAN ARDO |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93450 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PLOWED FIELD |
| 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 | Pilot |
| 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 | 2500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 176 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46194 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3903L |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA114 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206BIII |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206BIII |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3230 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 15 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 34 |
| Airframe Hours | 4102 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ARIS HELICOPTERS, LTD. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1138 COLEMAN AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAN JOSE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 95110 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ARIS HELICOPTERS, LTD. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1138 COLEMAN AVENUE |
| Operator City | SAN JOSE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 95110 |
| Operator Code | CAXA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | KIC |
| Departure City | KING CITY |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 910 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Standing |
| 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 | -- |