Date:	Monday 27 August 2012
Time:	08:03
Type:	Arrow Falcon OH-58C
Owner/operator:	Del Rio Aviation Inc
Registration:	N503DR
MSN:	71-20679
Year of manufacture:	1971
Total airframe hrs:	7019 hours
Engine model:	Rolls Royce T63-A-720
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Escalon, about 70 miles southeast of Sacramento, CA -   United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Agricultural
Departure airport:	Escalon, CA
Destination airport:	Escalon, CA
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The pilot was finishing an agricultural application to an orchard when a witness observed the helicopter enter a steep right bank and then descend into the orchard. The helicopter was found lying on its right side, and several trees near the wreckage were damaged. The pilot could not recall the circumstances of the accident. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that, during the application, the pilot did not maintain sufficient clearance from the trees, which resulted in a collision with the trees, loss of control, and subsequent impact with the ground.

Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees during a low-altitude agricultural application, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with the ground.

NTSB
FAA register: [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/08/27/2966856/pilot-hospitalized-in-crop-duster.html]
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/article/206816/2/71-year-old-pilot-injured-in-Escalon-crop-duster-crash-
[LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.kcra.com/news/Helicopter-crashes-in-rural-Escalon-wasn-t-pilot-s-first-wreck/-/11797728/16281604/-/t7921hz/-/index.html]
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=503DR
https://www.faa.gov/data_research/accident_incident/preliminary_data/events01/media/03_503DR.txt

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Aug-2012 01:26	gerard57	Added
28-Aug-2012 08:22	Geno	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Source, Damage, Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:28	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
28-Nov-2017 13:16	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]