Continental Copters OH13H accident near Castroville, California, October 16, 1988
On October 16, 1988 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Continental Copters OH13H (helicopter), registered N9092T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Castroville, 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).
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
- October 16, 1988 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Castroville, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Continental Copters OH13H
- Registration
- N9092T · no longer on the register · serial CCI-78-4
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AERIAL APPLICATION BY HELICOPTER, ENGINE POWER WAS LOST. PLT MANEUVERED TO AVOID POWER LINES DURING AUTOROTATION, RESULTING IN HARD LNDG. INVESTIGATION REVEALED FAILURE OF ACCESSORY DRIVE TO MAGNETOS.
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: 5,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 102 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,716 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 10, 1988; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Castroville CA at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 N9092T 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.