Bell 47G-5 crash near Watsonville, CA, United States

The pilot was spraying water on a field to wash the hopper tank for the next load of chemicals. On the second pass the pilot attempted to clear a wire that ran perpendicular to his flight path by descending beneath it at an altitude of approximately 5 feet. The pilot reported that the outer end of one main rotor blade struck the pole and the helicopter hit the ground and rolled over.