Bell 47G5 N4754R

Summary

On 16 February 2000 at about 00:28 local time, a Bell 47G5 registered N4754R, operated by Greenbelt Aviation, was involved in an accident near Riverbank, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 February 2000 at 00:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Riverbank, California, United States

Coordinates

37.7293, -120.9502

Aircraft

Bell 47G5

Registration

N4754R

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Greenbelt Aviation

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00LA100

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to verify that ground personnel had disconnected the loading hose from the hopper before takeoff, resulting in restricted directional control and a hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had landed to refill the aircraft's hopper from a truck-mounted re-supply tank. After refilling the hopper, the ground support person did not remove the loading hose from the hopper and the pilot did not verify that the hose had been removed before takeoff. After takeoff, the helicopter was pulled to the left as the hose became taught and finally snapped. The pilot applied right pedal to regain forward attitude but the helicopter lost main rotor speed and abruptly settled to the ground. The main rotor blades flapped down, striking the ground, and shattering the cockpit bubble. The lower Sprague system separated as the aircraft contacted the ground, shifting the main rotor mast. This shift moved the fuel tank and ruptured the main fuel line. The fuel spilled onto the exhaust system, resulting in a fire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.