SALINAS, CA, USA
N7914S
Bell 47G-5
The pilot was spraying a field approximately 10 feet agl parallel to telephone lines. The main rotor blades clipped the telephone lines and the helicopter descended into the ground. The skids became embedded in a row of irrigation pipes and the aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft prior to the accident.
On July 7, 1998, at 0800 hours Pacific daylight time, a Bell 47G-5, N7914S, impacted a series of telephone lines near Salinas, California, while applying chemicals to a field. The aircraft was destroyed, and the airline transport rated pilot, the sole occupant, suffered minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR Part 137 flight, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he was spraying a field approximately 10 feet agl and was flying parallel to a series of telephone lines. The main rotor blades clipped the telephone lines and the aircraft descended into the ground. The skids of the helicopter became embedded in a row of irrigation pipes and the helicopter nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.
The failure of the pilot to maintain clearance with the telephone lines.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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