Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Los Banos Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Los Banos, California 95340
Sunday, August 21, 2011 6:55 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was performing an agricultural application flight in the helicopter over a cantaloupe field. During the final pass along the field border, he observed bee boxes adjacent to power poles, and he shut off the spray applicator. After passing the boxes, he turned the spray applicator back on; his next recollection was of lying upside down in the field. Examination of the helicopter at the accident site revealed that the main rotor blades struck a set of wooden power poles at the 20-foot-level. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades and fuselage structure. The pilot reported that he had flown an application flight over the same field a week prior, and was aware of the location of the power poles. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power poles while maneuvering during low-altitude operations.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/21/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 655 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Los Banos |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95340 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 370329n |
| Event Location Longitude | 1205059w |
| Event Location Airport | Los Banos |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KLSN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 121 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 553 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 50 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KMCE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 155 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 21 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| 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) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.9 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KMCE 211253Z AUTO 31003KT 9SM CLR 14/12 A299 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 28939 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AWP 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 | Sep 15 2011 5:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N948DS |
| NTSB Number | WPR11CA398 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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-4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3140 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 81 |
| Airframe Hours | 8954 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SCHUH ROGER J |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MADERA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93636-8622 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | DOUBLE SPRINGS LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Madera |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 93636 |
| Operator Code | U4LG |
| 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 | U4LG480L |
| 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 | KLSN |
| Departure City | Los Banos |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 600 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | KLSN |
| Destination City | Los Banos |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 15 2011 5:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |