JUNE 20, 2015
SALINAS, CALIF. (AP)
A helicopter crashed at approximately 8:30 a.m. Saturday
approximately one mile from Blanco Road in Salinas resulting in the death of
the pilot.
Salinas Municipal Airport manager Brett Godown said Gomes
Farm Air Service has been a longtime operator at the airport and always do
maintenance on their aircrafts.
"You can see them out there everyday checking the
aircraft out and making sure it's functioning properly. I was out there this
morning and they were out there working and maintaining the aircraft," he
said. "They're a very safe operation."
Gomes Farm Air Service was contacted and said they had no
comment until they see the FAA report.
According to Allen Kenitzer, FAA spokesman, the helicopter
crashed under unknown circumstances while crop dusting.
Godown said Frank Gomes of Gomes Farm Air Service describes
their operation as the emergency responders for the agriculture fields when
something is happening to a crop.
"They're called day-off to go and respond chemicals to
prevent food contamination or the destruction of food, so their business model
has changed in the last decade," he said. "They were out there doing
work that was necessary to be done so everyone could have food."
Firefighters from the Salinas Fire Department and Monterey
County Fire Department work a helicopter crash scene off Blanco Road in Salinas
on Saturday morning. (Photo: Juan Villa/The Salinas Californian)
//-----------------////
Pilot killed in crop-dusting helicopter crash in California
Saturday, June 20, 2015
- Authorities say a pilot was killed when a helicopter crashed
while crop dusting a field in Central California.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer
said the Bell 47 helicopter went down near Salinas Saturday morning.
The cause of the accident was under investigation.
The aircraft was registered to Gomes Farm Air Service, and
the company said the pilot was co-owner Frank Gomes, Jr.
The company operates out of Salinas Municipal Airport.
The airport’s manager, Brett Godown, told the Salinas
Californian (http://bit.ly/1GzrjWX ) he saw workers maintaining the aircraft
Saturday morning and called the Air Service “a very safe operation.”
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Date:
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20-JUN-2015
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Time:
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morning
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Type:
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Bell 47
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Owner/operator:
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Gomes Farm Air Service
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Registration:
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C/n / msn:
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Fatalities:
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Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
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Other fatalities:
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0
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Airplane damage:
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Written off (damaged beyond repair)
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Location:
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near Salinas, California -
United
States of America |
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Phase:
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Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
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Nature:
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Agricultural
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Departure airport:
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Salinas Municipal Airport
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Destination airport:
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Salinas Municipal Airport
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Narrative:
The crop dusting helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances. The pilot died in the crash.
The crop dusting helicopter crashed under unknown circumstances. The pilot died in the crash.
Sources:
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=177135
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/20/pilot-killed-in-crop-dusting-helicopter-crash-in-c/