Bell 47G-3B-1 accident near Winterhaven, California, December 4, 1998
On December 4, 1998 at about 9:00 am local time, a Bell 47G-3B-1 (helicopter), registered N3084G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winterhaven, 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 failure of the pilot to maintain rotor rpm. A factor was his attempt to take off over gross weight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 1998 · about 9:00 am local time
- Place
- Winterhaven, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-3B-1 · all 47G-3B-1s on the register
- Registration
- N3084G · no longer on the register · serial 2916
- 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 had been spraying the field for about 3 hours. He attempted to take off at or over gross weight and the rotor rpm began to decay. The helicopter was positioned perpendicular to the furrowed rows in the field and when the pilot attempted to land the left skid dug into the mud. The aircraft bounced forward and the main rotor blades flexed downward and severed the tailboom. The pilot reported that he had not experienced any mechanical discrepancies with the aircraft prior to the accident. He further stated that he had not experienced any problems with the engine during the accident.
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; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,065 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 215 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 17,533 as pilot in command; 1,447 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,521 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 28, 1998; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TVO-435-BIA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N3084G 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.