14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, January 02, 2013 in Delano, CA
Aircraft: BELL 206, registration: N828AC
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On January 2, 2013, about 0615 Pacific standard time, a Bell 206 helicopter, N828AC, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering southeast of the Delano Municipal Airport (DLO), Delano, California. The helicopter was registered to Maricopa Helicopter, LLC, Fresno, California, and operated by San Joaquin Helicopters under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the helicopter was fatally injured. Dark night conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from DLO about 0420 to perform frost protection on a field southeast of DLO.
The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) interviewed a pilot of a second helicopter, that was following the accident helicopter on a return flight to DLO. The pilot stated that they were returning to DLO due to accumulating fog over the field where they were working. The pilot stated that during that return flight, he saw the accident helicopter ahead of his position make a right turn and he asked the pilot if she was lost. The accident pilot responded that she thought she was, and the second pilot gave her directions to turn left in the direction of DLO. The pilot diverted his attention to reestablish visual contact with distant lights to his left and subsequently observed an orange glow within the fog layer ahead of his position.
Examination of the accident site by the NTSB IIC revealed that the helicopter impacted terrain about 4 miles southeast of DLO. The wreckage debris path was about 90-feet in length and oriented on a heading of about 040 degrees magnetic. A post-impact fire consumed a majority of the fuselage. All major structural components of the helicopter were located throughout the wreckage debris path. The wreckage was relocated to a secure facility for further examination.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 828AC Make/Model: B206 Description: BELL 206B HELICOPTER
Date: 01/02/2013 Time: 1415
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: DELANO State: CA Country: US
DESCRIPTION
N828AC BELL 206 ROTORCRAFT CRASHED IN A FIELD, THE 1 PERSON ON BOARD WAS
FATALLY INJURED, NEAR DELANO, CA
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
OTHER DATA
Activity: Aerial Application Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: FRESNO, CA (WP17) Entry date: 01/03/2013
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N828AC
http://registry.faa.govN828AC
Authorities are on scene Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, after an agricultural helicopter crashed in rural Kern County, killing its pilot.
DELANO -- Authorities have found the wreckage and deceased woman pilot of a helicopter that crashed Wednesday morning in a grape vineyard outside this north Kern County city.
The crash site was found at 9:50 a.m. a half-mile west of Famoso Porterville Highway at Spangler Road, according to Kern County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ray Pruitt.
Related Photos
Kern County Sheriff's deputies block off access to site in a vineyard near Spangler Road, near Wallace and Pond roads, due to a helicopter crash. The helicopter departed from Delano Airport and was returning to the airport when it disappeared at about 6:15 a.m. Three helicopters were conducting frost control in the area Wednesday morning and only two returned to their base, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
A sheriff's air unit spotted the wreckage with the help of the pilot of another helicopter that had been working along with the one that crashed. That pilot had seen the woman, believed to be in her 60s, go down. Her name has not been released.
The area was shrouded in dense fog, and it took time to find the crash site, Pruitt said.
An investigator from the Federal Aviation Administration in Fresno was en route to take control of the investigation.
Earlier in the morning, the FAA reported that three helicopters were conducting frost control in the area and only two returned to their base. One of the returning pilots tried unsuccessfully to contact the pilot by radio, said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor.
The helicopter departed from Delano Airport and was returning to the airport when it disappeared at about 6:15 a.m. between McComb Road and Quality Road, he said.
A witness, now identified as the pilot of another helicopter, reported seeing an aircraft go down in the area. Both the Kern County Sheriff's Office and the Kern County Fire Department were involved in the search.
Watch Video: http://www.kget.com
http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com
http://www.sjhelicopters.com
http://www.airnav.com/airport/KDLO
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