Bell 47G N7800S

Summary

On 28 February 2018 at about 23:30 local time, a Bell 47G registered N7800S was involved in an accident near Pixley, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 February 2018 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Pixley, California, United States

Coordinates

35.9364, -119.1925

Aircraft

Bell 47G

Registration

N7800S

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pixley → Pixley

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR18CA096

1 person was seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from the pilot’s failure to ensure that adequate fuel was on board for the flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s self-induced pressure to complete the flight due to impending rain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after landing and during the loading for the next chemical agricultural application flight with the engine running, he exited the helicopter to speak to the owner of the property he was spraying. He could not remember if he had instructed the ground crewman to fuel the helicopter or not. Additionally, the pilot stated that, before takeoff, he failed to check the fuel level and was unaware that the ground crewman had not refueled the helicopter. After takeoff and completing only one spray pass, the engine lost power. The pilot opined that he "just ran out of fuel." Unable to make it back to the loading area, he landed in a grove of trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot also mentioned that due to the approaching rain, he was in a hurry to get the field sprayed before it arrived. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the helicopter or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.