Aviation Crash Map

Bell 47G-2 N919SF

21 July 1997 · Buttonwillow, California, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 21 July 1997 at about 17:25 local time, a Bell 47G-2 registered N919SF was involved in an accident near Buttonwillow, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 17:25
Classification
Accident
Location
Buttonwillow, California, United States
Coordinates
35.4303, -119.4895
Aircraft
Bell 47G-2
Registration
N919SF
Category
Helicopter
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 137: Agricultural
Purpose of flight
Aerial Application
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
LAX97LA248

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 0 0 0 1

Probable cause

failure of the pilot to maintain adequate clearance from a utility pole (obstruction) during aerial application. The obstruction was a related factor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was spraying a cotton field that had power lines crossing it on wooden poles. He stated that as he was 'going around a pole,' the main rotor blade(s) hit the pole. The helicopter then crashed, began burning, and was destroyed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Bell 47 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
11 Aug 1997 Bell 47-D1
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13 Jul 1997 Bell 47G-3B-1
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Crossett, Arkansas, United States - Serious injuries -
19 Oct 1997 Bell 47-G3B
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Winston, Montana, United States - No injuries -
20 Sep 1997 Bell 47G-2
N90485
McGee, Mississippi, United States Louis E. McCarthy No injuries -
3 Oct 1997 Bell 47G-2
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Burbank, California, United States John A. Ochwatt No injuries -
19 Aug 1997 Bell 47G-3B-2
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Montrose, Colorado, United States - No injuries -

All 1,633 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
24 Aug 1997 Airbus A300 B4-203
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15 Aug 1997 Bell UH-1H
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11 Oct 1997 Cessna 152
N67293
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11 Oct 1997 Schweizer 2-32
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Warner Springs, California, United States - Fatal 1
12 Oct 1997 Bellanca 7ECA
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Tracy, California, United States - Fatal 1
26 Oct 1997 Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300
N69BW
Castaic, California, United States
no coordinates
- Fatal 2

All 170,864 records in United States