Bell 47G-2 N10194

Summary

On 23 January 1982 at about 23:00 local time, a Bell 47G-2 registered N10194, operated by Kenneth L. Mason, was involved in an accident near Watsonville, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

23 January 1982 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Watsonville, California, United States

Coordinates

36.9494, -121.7198

Aircraft

Bell 47G-2

Registration

N10194

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Kenneth L. Mason

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Watsonville → Watsonville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX82DA051

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING A PRECEDING SPRAY OPERATION, THE PILOT NOTED THAT SOME OF THE SPRAY NOZZLES WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. HE FLUSHED THE TANKS WITH FRESH WATER AND PARTIALLY REFILLED THEM WITH WATER TO PERFORM AN AIRBORNE NOZZLE CHECK. WHILE PERFORMING THE CHECK AT ABOUT 30 FT AGL, HE BECAME ENGROSSED IN VISUALLY CHECKING THE BOOM NOZZLES. HE DID NOT NOTICE A TELEPHONE LINE IN HIS FLIGHT PATH UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE TO AVOID STRIKING IT. AFTER SEVERING THE LINE, THE PILOT MADE AN IMMEDIATE LANDING IN A MUDDY FIELD. WHILE LANDING IN A NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE, THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.