Texas Helicopter M74 accident near Salinas, California, August 31, 1994
On August 31, 1994 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Texas Helicopter M74, registered N51852, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salinas, 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
fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and in-flight fuel consumption monitoring.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1994 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salinas, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Texas Helicopter M74
- Registration
- N51852 · registry record · serial 78-020
- 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 PILOT SAID HE DEPARTED THE COMPANY BASE AND WENT TO A FIELD NEAR SALINAS WHERE HE SPRAYED THE CROPS WITH CHEMICALS FOR 1 1/2 HOURS. THE PILOT SAID HE 'RAN OUT OF GAS' WHILE PROCEEDING TO A NEARBY COMPANY TRUCK FOR ANOTHER LOAD OF CHEMICALS AND FUEL. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND THE MAIN ROTOR SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM.
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: 2,120 hours in all; 1,520 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,750 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-435 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Gomes Farm Air Service, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 54Q Castroville CA at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from SNS, 8 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 N51852 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.