| Crash location | 36.280834°N, 121.166945°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Greenfield, CA
35.268850°N, 119.002880°W 140.0 miles away |
| Tail number | N715BH |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 18 Feb 2014 |
| Aircraft type | Bell 47G 5A |
| Additional details: | None |
During the 2 hours leading up to the accident, the pilot of the agriculture and pest control category helicopter had sprayed about 40 acres of crops, having refueled once. He stated that during the last pass of his current field he misjudged the distance between the main rotor blades and a power pole. The main rotor blades struck the pole, and the pilot performed a forced landing into the field. During the landing, the helicopter rolled over, sustaining substantial damage to the firewall, tailboom, and cabin structure. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation, and further stated that the accident could have been avoided if he had flown over the pole rather than attempting to fly around it.
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a power pole during low-altitude maneuvering flight.