Bell UH-1B N234SJ

Summary

On 2 March 2023 at about 23:00 local time, a Bell UH-1B registered N234SJ, operated by Porter Flying Services Inc, was involved in an accident near Orland, 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

2 March 2023 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Orland, California, United States

Coordinates

39.7270, -122.0710

Aircraft

Bell UH-1B

Registration

N234SJ

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1962

Engines

1

Operator

Porter Flying Services Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chico → Chicoc

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA118

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the final run for the aerial application flight, he noticed the engine spooling down. He attempted to land on a nearby road but collided with the terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter or engine that would have precluded normal operation and that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.