Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate monitoring of the environment and failure to maintain clearance from transmission wires during a low-altitude maneuver.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that before he began his first aerial application run, he flew overhead to scout the designated field for hazards and noted a power line near the field. He stated that he had a "momentary lapse" during his first application pass and flew through the wires, which shattered the cabin's main Plexiglass bubble and struck the main rotor mast. Both push-pull flight control tubes were compromised just above the swashplate. The helicopter fell to the ground and came to rest upright on its landing skids. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR13LA429 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Sep 29, 2013
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Santa Maria, California
- Highest injury
- Minor
- Minor injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Texas Helicopter Corp OH-13E/M74
- N-number
- N38113
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1977
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 137 (agricultural)
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial application
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.