On August 31, 1994, a Texas Helicopter M74 (registration N51852) operated by Gomes Farm Air Service, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Salinas, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to continue flight without sufficient fuel, which resulted in an emergency landing and subsequent damage to the helicopter. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A helicopter ran out of fuel while refueling for crop dusting operations near Salinas, resulting in a hard landing that severed the tail boom.
What happened
The pilot departed from the company base and proceeded to a field located near Salinas. Upon arrival, he conducted agricultural spraying operations using chemicals for approximately one hour and thirty minutes. After completing this segment of the work, the pilot intended to proceed to a nearby company truck to acquire an additional load of chemicals and fuel.
During the transit to the refueling point, the aircraft exhausted its fuel supply. The helicopter was forced to land hard on the ground. The impact caused the main rotor assembly to sever the tail boom of the aircraft.
Findings
The primary factor leading to the accident was the depletion of fuel during flight operations. The mechanical failure of the airframe, specifically the separation of the tail boom, was a direct result of the hard landing necessitated by the lack of power.
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to continue flight without sufficient fuel, which resulted in an emergency landing and subsequent damage to the helicopter.