Bell UH-1H accident near Yuba City, California, April 1, 2006
On April 1, 2006 at about 9:03 pm local time, a Bell UH-1H (helicopter), registered N710WD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yuba City, California. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's in-flight loss of control of the helicopter for undetermined reasons. A factor was the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2006 · about 9:03 pm local time
- Place
- Yuba City, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1H · all UH-1Hs on the register
- Registration
- N710WD · registry record · serial 65-09716
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter collided with trees and the ground following an in-flight loss of control while conducting an aerial spraying operation. The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to spray a fungicide on several tree orchards in the area. After about 3 miles in flight he reached the orchard to be treated and slowed the helicopter. He initiated a descending left turn. During the turn the flight controls locked and the pilot thought the helicopter was experiencing a hydraulic failure. He maneuvered the helicopter to avoid power lines and attempted to regain control. He turned the hydraulic system off and manipulated the cyclic in an effort to obtain level flight. The helicopter impacted trees. A follow-up examination of the helicopter by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors and a technical representative from the helicopter's manufacturer revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter in general and the hydraulic control system in particular.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,500 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 10,300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,987.5 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 1, 2006; 4.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honeywell T-53-LBB (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Yuba City CA at 8:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from MYV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N710WD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX06LA134.