Bell 47G-2A accident near Oroville, Washington, July 5, 2005
On July 5, 2005, a Bell 47G-2A (helicopter), registered N38926, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oroville, Washington. 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 throttle cable housing, which permitted the engine's RPM to decay to the idle position. Contributing factors were the trees and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2005
- Place
- Oroville, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-2A · all 47G-2As on the register
- Registration
- N38926 · no longer on the register · serial N.A.H. 1957-1
- 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 that he was spraying cherries when the engine suddenly stopped. He attempted an autorotation, but the main rotor impacted cherry trees. The helicopter's main bubble was shattered, and the skids and frame were bent. Postimpact examination of the aircraft, by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, revealed that the throttle cable's housing had broken, which permitted the engine's RPM to decay to the idle position.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2005; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-A1F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0S7 Oroville WA
- Destination: 0S7
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 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 N38926 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.