Texas OH-13E/M74 N38113

Summary

On 29 September 2013 at about 16:30 local time, a Texas OH-13E/M74 registered N38113, operated by R&S Crop Dusters Inc, was involved in an accident near Santa Maria, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 September 2013 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Maria, California, United States

Coordinates

34.9672, -120.5444

Aircraft

Texas OH-13E/M74

Registration

N38113

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

R&S Crop Dusters Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA429

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate monitoring of the environment and failure to maintain clearance from transmission wires during a low-altitude maneuver.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that before he began his first aerial application run, he flew overhead to scout the designated field for hazards and noted a power line near the field. He stated that he had a "momentary lapse" during his first application pass and flew through the wires, which shattered the cabin's main Plexiglass bubble and struck the main rotor mast. Both push-pull flight control tubes were compromised just above the swashplate. The helicopter fell to the ground and came to rest upright on its landing skids. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.