Bell 47G-4A N110DT

Summary

On 31 May 2001 at about 18:36 local time, a Bell 47G-4A registered N110DT was involved in an accident near Buttonwillow, 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

31 May 2001 at 18:36

Classification

Accident

Location

Buttonwillow, California, United States

Nearest airport

Elk Hills-Buttonwillow (L62)

Coordinates

35.4292, -119.4898

Aircraft

Bell 47G-4A

Registration

N110DT

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Buttonwillow

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX01LA196

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning that resulted in settling with power during an aerial application turn-to-reverse direction and collision with the ground. Factors were high density altitude and a wind shift.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the aerial application turn-to-reverse direction to continue spraying chemicals, the helicopter began settling with power and collided with the ground. According to the pilot, "near triple digit" temperatures, a wind shift, and a steep 180-degree turn resulted in the power settling that could not be arrested prior to ground impact. The pilot also reported that the temperature over the unplanted field where he was executing the reverse turn was higher than over the corn field he had been spraying.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.