Bell 47D1 accident near Shafter, CA
On November 12, 1995, a Bell 47D1 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Shafter, CA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 12, 1995
- Place
- Shafter, CA
- Aircraft
- Bell 47D1 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.490°N, 119.301°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X04865
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 12, 1995, between 1115 and 1200 hours Pacific standard time, a Bell 47D1 helicopter, N78900, collided with the terrain in an open field about 4 miles northwest of the Shafter airport, Shafter, California. The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules personal flight. The helicopter, operated by Lewis Aviation of Shafter, was destroyed by impact and the resulting postimpact fire; about 10 acres of freshly planted roses were destroyed. The certificated commercial pilot and passenger, the pilot's brother and part-time flagger for the operator, sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from Shafter airport about 0740 hours; the flight departed the aerial application area at an unknown time. National Transportation Safety Board investigators interviewed the operator and loader at the operator's facility on November 13, 1995. The operator said that the pilot was scheduled to spray a crop of trees on November 12, 1995, sometime between 0800 and 0900 hours. He was not at his facility when the pilot departed on the aerial application flight. The operator said that the loader returned to the facility about 1115 hours. The loader told him the pilot was returning shortly. When the pilot did not return by 1200 hours, he drove to the field and found the burnt wreckage at 1215 hours. The loader said that he and the flagger departed the operator's facility at 0800 hours and arrived near the aerial application area (about 1/4 mile southeast of the accident site) at 0815 hours. The loader was driving the loading
Probable cause
the pilot misjudged the altitude and ground clearance while performing an unwarranted low altitude flight maneuver.
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Browse: California · Bell aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
