Monday, April 23, 2018

Bell 206B JetRanger, registered to and operated by Aspen AG Helicopters Inc as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 aerial application flight, N49643: Accident occurred May 04, 2019 in Oxnard, Ventura County, California ● Incident occurred April 20, 2018 in Goleta, Santa Barbara County, California

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity: 
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Van Nuys, California

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

https://registry.faa.gov/N49643

Location: Oxnard, CA
Accident Number: WPR19LA135
Date & Time: 05/04/2019, 0945 PDT
Registration: N49643
Aircraft: Bell 206
Injuries: 1 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 137: Agricultural 

On May 4, 2019, about 0945 Pacific daylight time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N49643, impacted terrain while spraying paint material on top of buildings about 2 miles northwest of the Oxnard Airport (OXR); Oxnard, California. The commercial pilot was seriously injured, and the helicopter was destroyed by a post impact fire. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Aspen AG Helicopters, Inc as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the flight was operated on a company visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from OXR at about 0630.

The operator reported that this was the first load for the third application flight of the day. The pilot was on his third pass over the buildings when he noticed that he needed more and more left cyclic input to maintain straight and level flight. He maneuvered away from the buildings, however, he found that the helicopter was continuing an ever-tightening right hand turn. With the cyclic full left, the pilot was unable to maintain control of the helicopter and it impacted the ground at about a 45o bank; a post impact fire ensued.

The helicopter has been recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Bell
Registration: N49643
Model/Series: 206 B
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Aspen Ag Helicopters Inc
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Agricultural Aircraft (137); Rotorcraft External Load (133)

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: OXR, 44 ft msl
Observation Time: 0951 PDT
Distance from Accident Site: 2 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 16°C / 12°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 3 knots / , Variable
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 1500 ft agl
Visibility:  8 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.94 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Company VFR
Departure Point: Oxnard, CA (OXR)
Destination: Oxnard, CA (OXR)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: On-Ground
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Serious
Latitude, Longitude:  34.220278, -119.223889 (est)


One person was injured when a helicopter crashed near Oxnard on Saturday morning.

The crash was reported at 9:44 a.m. An agricultural worker witnessed the helicopter going down near a nursery off Gonzales Road and Victoria Avenue, according to the Oxnard Fire Department.

On the ground, the helicopter was in flames and set off a small grass fire, said Oxnard Fire Department Battalion Chief Sergio Martinez. Firefighters had doused the blaze.

The pilot was able to climb out of the helicopter before rescue crews arrived. He suffered a leg injury and was taken to a hospital, Martinez said. The injury did not appear to be life-threatening.

It appeared he was crop dusting the nursery area when the crash happened, he said.

The area is near three jurisdictions, and engines from the city of Ventura, Oxnard and Ventura County fire departments responded.

"We still have engines from all three agencies on scene," said Capt. Stan Ziegler from the Ventura County Fire Department.

Firefighters would remain there until they made sure the fire was out. There was no fuel spill or hazardous materials issue, he said.

It was unclear what caused the crash, according to early reports. The FAA was expected to investigate.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.vcstar.com







Firefighters responded to a helicopter crash in a field in Oxnard Saturday morning, the Oxnard Fire Department said.

The crash was reported at about 9:40 a.m. near the intersection of West Gonzales Road and North Victoria Avenue, according to authorities.

When crews responded, they found a helicopter down and on fire in the field, Oxnard Fire Department Battalion Chief Sergio Martinez said.

The pilot, a man in his 40s, had extricated himself out of the aircraft before first responders arrived, and was suffering from "lower extremity injuries" that were not life-threatening, Martinez said.

The man was assessed at the scene and transported to a hospital, authorities said.

The crash started a small grass fire that was put out, according to fire officials.

Photos showed firefighters working at the scene of the crash where debris covered a small grass field that was charred black from the fire.

The helicopter appeared to have been part of a nearby crop-dusting operation, Martinez said.

No other injuries were reported.

It is unknown what caused the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://ktla.com

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Van Nuys, California

April 20, 2018:  Rotorcraft struck a powerline, landed without incident.

Date: 20-APR-18
Time: 15:50:00Z
Regis#: N49643
Aircraft Make: BELL
Aircraft Model: 206B
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: NONE
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: MINOR
Activity: UNKNOWN
Flight Phase: UNKNOWN (UNK)
Operation: 133
City: GOLETA
State: CALIFORNIA

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