Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wasco, California 93280
Tuesady, March 7, 2000 10:20 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot landed the single-engine helicopter in a muddy field after experiencing a loss of engine power while climbing through 200 feet. The pilot reported hearing and feeling a bang, then a jolt to the left, followed by a loss of engine power. The pilot landed the helicopter in a field with furrows, which forced the tail up resulting in a tail strike. After the accident, the pilot reported to the operator that he may have experienced carburetor icing. An overhaul of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented the engine's operation. According to the FAA's Carburetor Icing Probability Chart with the reported temperature and dew point, the conditions existed for "Serious Icing at Cruise Power."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat, which resulted in a loss of engine power. Factors included the ambient carburetor icing conditions and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/7/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1020 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Wasco |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93280 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 353700N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1192100W |
| 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 | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 956 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 145 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BFL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 507 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| 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) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.01 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12987 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 7 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1335 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 18 2003 4:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1354X |
| NTSB Number | LAX00LA116 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 47G-4A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 47G-4A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7537 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3014 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 29 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 23 |
| Airframe Hours | 11524 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Inland Crop Dusters, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5001 Stearman Avenue |
| Aircraft Owner City | Shafter |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93263 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Inland Crop Dusters, Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | PWWG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| 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) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MIT |
| Departure City | Shafter |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 700 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | WASCO |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 9 2003 6:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |