Bell 47G2 accident near Brawley, California, February 19, 1982
On February 19, 1982 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Bell 47G2 (helicopter), registered N4021A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brawley, California. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 1982 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Brawley, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G2 · all 47G2s on the register
- Registration
- N4021A · registry record · serial 1879
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT VISUALLY CHECKED THE GAS TANK BEFORE TAKEOFF AND ESTIMATED THERE WAS ABOUT 1/4 TANK OF FUEL. HE THEN STARTED THE ENGINE AND HOVERED OVER TO THE WATER TANKER AND LOADED 60 GALLONS OF WATER IN THE SPRAY TANK IN ORDER TO CALIBRATE THE NUMBER OF GALLONS PER ACRE THE RIG SPRAYED. AFTER SPRAYING SOME WATER ON THE GROUND HE ASKED THE TANKER OPERATOR TO REFUEL HIS HELICOPTER BUT WAS TOLD THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE SINCE THE PUMP WAS INOPERABLE. THE MECHANIC LOOKED IN THE GAS TANK AND TOLD THE PILOT IT WAS OK TO MOVE TO THE GAS PUMP. THE PILOT PICKED UP THE HELICOPTER AND MOVED TO AN ADJACENT WHEAT FIELD TO SPRAY OUT THE REMAINING WATER AT WHICH TIME THE ENGINE FAILED TO PRODUCE POWER. THE HELICOPTER WAS AUTOROTATED FROM AN ESTIMATED 7 FEET.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 23,800 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 9,999 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,936 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mar Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: Brawley CA at 6:30 am
- Destination: Brawley CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 140°F (60°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 am from IPL, 12 miles away
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 N4021A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.