Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Salinas Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Salinas, California 93962
Friday, September 3, 2010 6:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After taking off on a visual flight rules flight in instrument meterological conditions, with a reported 2 1/2 miles visibility with mist and overcast clouds at 100 feet, the pilot proceeded westbound about 50 feet above ground level (agl) then, while approaching an interstate highway, climbed to 100 feet agl in order to avoid power lines. During the climb, the helicopter entered the fog. The pilot stated that after entering the fog he turned on the landing light, which blinded him and caused him to become disoriented as he attempted to make a 180-degree turn back to the airport. The pilot added that he subsequently lost control of the helicopter and impacted a highway guardrail with the tail section of the helicopter. The helicopter then came to rest inverted and partially in the southbound lane of the highway. The pilot reported no helicopter mechanical failures or malfunctions. A truck driver who witnessed the accident reported that the forward visibility was about 250 feet at the time of the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his spatial disorientation and loss of helicopter control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/3/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 600 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Salinas |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93962 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 363944N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1213726W |
| Event Location Airport | Salinas Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SNS |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 85 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 553 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SNS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 27 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 29210 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 3 2011 6:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4427F |
| NTSB Number | WPR10LA446 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 47G |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 5 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7971 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2850 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 30 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | 7936 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Gomes Farm Air Service Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Salinas |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93962 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Frank Gomes |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Salinas |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 93962 |
| Operator Code | LSJG |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SNS |
| Departure City | Salinas |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 550 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | SNS |
| Destination City | Salinas |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 3 2011 6:43PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |