Bell OH-58A N36FA

Summary

On 7 February 2023 at about 04:35 local time, a Bell OH-58A registered N36FA, operated by TRI Rotor Spray & Chemical, was involved in an accident near Yuma, Arizona, 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

7 February 2023 at 04:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Yuma, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.6895, -114.5456

Aircraft

Bell OH-58A

Registration

N36FA

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

TRI Rotor Spray & Chemical

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Somerton → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

WPR23LA107

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the helicopter was conducting an agricultural application flight in dark night conditions. He stated that, after completing the chemical application, he landed on the load truck and the hopper was filled with 50 gallons of water to rinse out the applicator system. The pilot departed from the load truck toward an open field about 200 yards away. The pilot stated that, while maneuvering about 40 ft above ground level when the spray tank was almost empty, the helicopter began to “bounce and tilt in all directions,” then “fish-tailed” before the engine lost total power. The pilot stated that he was unable to judge the helicopter’s height above the ground, and the helicopter subsequently landed hard, during which the main rotor blades severed the tail rotor drive shaft. Postaccident examination of the helicopter and engine revealed no anomalies or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. About 5 gallons of fuel was found in the fuel tank, 1.4 gallons of which was unusable. No engine abnormalities were found during an engine run on a test stand. Based on the available information, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.