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Helicopter Strikes Tailboom During Hard Landing After Power Pole Encounter

King City, CA, United States

On October 18, 2019, a Bell 47G 5 operated by Wilbur-Ellis Co was involved in an aviation accident near King City, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing and the main rotor blades striking the tailboom. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During an agricultural application flight, a helicopter struggled to climb over a power pole, experienced slow main rotor speed, and made a hard landing, resulting in the main rotor blades striking and damaging the tailboom.

Incident

A helicopter pilot was conducting an agricultural application flight when he planned to fly over the top of a power pole. According to the pilot, he applied full up collective to climb over the power lines, but the helicopter struggled to gain altitude. After clearing the pole, the main rotor speed became slow, the helicopter "quit flying," and he decided to conduct a run-on landing on the field.

Damage

The helicopter landed hard, and the main rotor blades struck the tailboom, causing substantial damage to the tailboom.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

Descent rate — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on equipment

Related events

Same aircraft family

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 18 Oct 2019 Bell 47G 5 accident near King City, CA?

During an agricultural application flight, a helicopter struggled to climb over a power pole, experienced slow main rotor speed, and made a hard landing, resulting in the main rotor blades striking and damaging the tailboom.

Were there any fatalities in the 18 Oct 2019 Bell 47G 5 accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 18 Oct 2019 involved a Bell 47G 5, operated by Wilbur-Ellis Co, at King City, CA.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate, which resulted in a hard landing and the main rotor blades striking the tailboom.

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