Bell 47G 5A accident near Greenfield, California, February 18, 2014
On February 18, 2014 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1973 Bell 47G 5A (helicopter), registered N715BH, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Greenfield, California (King City airport). 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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a power pole during low-altitude maneuvering flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 2014 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greenfield, California · King City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G 5A 5A, built 1973 · all 47G 5As on the register
- Registration
- N715BH · registry record · serial 25105
- 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 the 2 hours leading up to the accident, the pilot of the agriculture and pest control category helicopter had sprayed about 40 acres of crops, having refueled once. He stated that during the last pass of his current field he misjudged the distance between the main rotor blades and a power pole. The main rotor blades struck the pole, and the pilot performed a forced landing into the field. During the landing, the helicopter rolled over, sustaining substantial damage to the firewall, tailboom, and cabin structure. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation, and further stated that the accident could have been avoided if he had flown over the pole rather than attempting to fly around it.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of visual reference during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Off-field or emergency landing during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 768 hours in all; 411 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 685 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,400 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 15, 2013; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,851 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-B1A (piston); 14,146 hours total
- Operator: Wilbur-Ellis CO
The flight
- Departed from: KIC King City CA
- Destination: Greenfield CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from SNS, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR14CA115.