Arrow-Falcon Exporters, Inc. UH-1H accident near Coalinga, CA
On August 19, 2020, an Arrow-Falcon Exporters, Inc. UH-1H (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Coalinga, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 19, 2020
- Place
- Coalinga, CA
- Aircraft
- Arrow-Falcon Exporters, Inc. UH-1H · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.969°N, 120.323°W
- NTSB ID
- 20200819X80931
Official records · WPR20LA280
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On August 19, 2020 about 0945 Pacific daylight time, an Arrow-Falcon Exporters, Inc., UH-1H, N711GH, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Coalinga, California. The pilot, the sole occupant was fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a public use firefighting flight. The accident flight was the pilot’s first day working the Hills Fire, which had started 4 days prior. The pilot took off at 0846 followed by another pilot who was flying a Bell 212 helicopter for another operator. After departure, both helicopters flew south until reaching a small lake/reservoir (the dip site) to fill up the external load buckets attached to their respective helicopters. Thereafter, they flew to a predetermined area and began to unload their water on the fire. After releasing the water, they would return back to the dip site. After the accident pilot delivered about two buckets of water to one location he moved to another location delivering about five buckets of water. The Bell 212 pilot recalled that after he departed the dip site with a bucket of water, he heard the accident pilot communicate over the air-to-air radio that he felt "abnormal noises and vibrations" and that he was going to make a precautionary landing. The Bell 212 pilot dumped his water and caught up to the accident helicopter with the intention of assisting the pilot in finding a good area to land. He remained a few hundred feet behind and above the accident helicopter. The accident helicopter was about 1,000 ft above ground level and maneuvering at an airspeed between 60 to 70 kts. The accident pilo
Probable cause
The pilot’s inability to maintain control of the helicopter due to a hydraulic system failure for reasons that could not be fully determined due to the thermal destruction from the postimpact fire.
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
