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19980610020299A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 47G-3B-1 · Lecenter, MN · June 10, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 10, 1998 · 12:00 local
Place
Lecenter, MN
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
JRVL
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N73284
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI98LA198
Reported as
Bell 47G3B1
Reported engine
Allison 250C20B
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,122 total104 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days
N73284Registration cancelled Aug 21, 2013 · Bell 47G-3B-1S/N 2908 · Built 1964Airframe modelBell 47G-3B-1Engine modelLycoming TVO-435-GIATurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

During spray ops a skid caught on a power line. Cable wrapped around cockpit and rotor. Sheared tail. Hit a ditch.(.4) on June 10, 1998, at 1200 central daylight time (CDT), a Bell 47G, N73284, flown by a commercial helicopter pilot collided with powerlines during an aerial application flight in le center, Minnesota. The pilot received serious injuries and the helicopter was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local 14 CFR part 137 flight. The flight originated in le center, Minnesota. The pilot reported that while spraying "ditch banks" the helicopter contacted a wire which was embedded in heavy vegetation. He continued to report "the wire broke & fouled the rotor blades. Then the aircraft & I hit the ground." An inspector from the federal aviation administration minneapolis, Minnesota, flight standards district office reported the pilot was spraying along a creek bed when the accident occurred. The wire which was contacted was approximately 20 feet above the terrain (creek bed) and the poles on which the wire was strung were hidden by vegetation. The inspector stated the pilot was aware of the wire, but did not see it during the swatch run. He stated the wire twisted around the transmission and main rotor blades.

As the FAA filed it

DURING SPRAY OPS A SKID CAUGHT ON A POWER LINE. CABLE WRAPPED AROUND COCKPIT AND ROTOR. SHEARED TAIL. HIT A DITCH.(.4) ON JUNE 10, 1998, AT 1200 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), A BELL 47G, N73284, FLOWN BY A COMMERCIAL HELICOPTER PILOT COLLIDED WITH POWERLINES DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT IN LE CENTER, MINNESOTA. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL 14 CFR PART 137 FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN LE CENTER, MINNESOTA. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE SPRAYING "DITCH BANKS" THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED A WIRE WHICH WAS EMBEDDED IN HEAVY VEGETATION. HE CONTINUED TO REPORT "THE WIRE BROKE & FOULED THE ROTOR BLADES. THEN THE AIRCRAFT & I HIT THE GROUND." AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE REPORTED THE PILOT WAS SPRAYING ALONG A CREEK BED WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE WIRE WHICH WAS CONTACTED WAS APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET ABOVE THE TERRAIN (CREEK BED) AND THE POLES ON WHICH THE WIRE WAS STRUNG WERE HIDDEN BY VEGETATION. THE INSPECTOR STATED THE PILOT WAS AWARE OF THE WIRE, BUT DID NOT SEE IT DURING THE SWATCH RUN. HE STATED THE WIRE TWISTED AROUND THE TRANSMISSION AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI98LA198Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLe Center, MNthe pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the wire. A factor associated with the accident was the wire which the helicopter contacted.Jun 10, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N73284 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19910611021339ALow Level Operations · Lasalle, MNCaught spray boom on crop being sprayed. Caused helicopter to roll over.Jun 11, 1991 · Substantial damageAccident 19800823036989ATo Vertical (Helicopter Only) · Sunnyside, WAHelicopter was lifting off from platform when failure of clutch occurred.Aug 23, 1980 · Reported as Bell 47G2 · Substantial damage