| Crash location | 37.798333°N, 120.722223°W |
| Nearest city | Oakdale, CA
37.766595°N, 120.847155°W 7.2 miles away |
| Tail number | N107CH |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 24 Jul 2018 |
| Aircraft type | Bell UH 1H |
| Additional details: | None |
On July 24, 2018, about 1800 Pacific daylight time, a Bell UH-1H helicopter, N107CH, was substantially damaged during a precautionary landing near Oakdale, California. The pilot was not injured; the pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to Airlift Helicopters Service and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Fullerton Municipal Airport Fullerton, California at 1300 and was destined for Weed Airport, Weed, California.
The pilot reported that, while in a straight and level flight, he heard an unusual noise and decided to execute a precautionary landing. When the skids touched the ground, the helicopter entered an uncontrolled climb and yaw. The pilot was unable to recover from the loss of directional control and the helicopter impacted terrain.