Bell 47G 5 N3285T

Summary

On 17 September 2017 at about 14:00 local time, a Bell 47G 5 registered N3285T was involved in an accident near Salinas, 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

17 September 2017 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Salinas, California, United States

Nearest airport

Salinas Muni (SNS)

Coordinates

36.6669, -121.7044

Aircraft

Bell 47G 5

Registration

N3285T

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salinas → Salinas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR17LA206

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a wire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was flying under a powerline during an aerial application flight in an area with which he was very familiar when the helicopter collided with a wire. The wire was installed at a height of about 20 ft on the 40-ft-tall poles and was used for attaching a larger cable data line, which had not yet been installed at the time of the accident. The pilot did not recall seeing the wire before the accident. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the helicopter impacted the wire at its main rotor mast. The main rotor mast separated from the wreckage and the main rotor blades displayed impact damage consistent with ground impact. Examination revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.