On July 18, 1982, a Bell 204 (registration N910PD) operated by San Joaquin Helicopters was involved in an aviation accident near Delano, CA. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a fruit fly spraying operation with two helicopters, a pilot lost translational lift after reducing speed in a tailwind, resulting in insufficient altitude to recover and the aircraft settling into trees.
Background
The accident occurred during an aerial spraying operation targeting Mediterranean fruit flies. Two helicopters were involved in the operation, employing a coordinated pattern to cover the target area.
Incident Details
The pilot was entering a "scissors" pattern, flying in the opposite direction to the second helicopter, which was spraying in the opposite direction. To begin his swath at the completion of the other helicopter's run, the pilot had to slow down. Further reducing speed to maintain clearance, he lost translational lift due to the prevailing tailwind. Insufficient altitude remained for the pilot to recover the loss of rotor rpm, and the aircraft settled into the trees.