# Accident 19990419019389A: Bell 47G3B1, Thomastown, MS, April 19, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 19, 1999, 07:30 local time - Place: Thomastown, MS - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only) - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Location: 32.8640° N, 89.6695° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Thomastown, MS, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8640&lon=-89.6695&mi=10 - Aircraft: N32PH (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BELL 47G3B1 - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 4,100 total, 12 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA133](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA133) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990419019389A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON APRIL 19, 1999, ABOUT 0730 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 47G, N32PH, REGISTERED TO PROVINE HELICOPTER SERVICE, INC., OPERATING AS A 14 CFR 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, CRASHED WHILE ATTEMPTING A LIFTOFF FROM A TRUCK MOUNTED PLATFORM NEAR THOMASTOWN, MISSISSIPPI. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE COMMERCIALLY-RATED PILOT AND A PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE TWO-MAN GROUND CREW, AS THE HELICOPTER WAS LIFTING OFF THE PLATFORM, THEY HEARD A LOUD "POP" AND ONE OF THEM SAW SOMETHING FLY OFF INTO ADJACENT BRUSH. THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED TO PERFORM MULTIPLE ROTATIONS AND IMPACT THE GROUND WITH IT'S RIGHT SKID. THE RIGHT SKID BROKE, ALLOWING THE MAIN ROTOR TO COLLIDE WITH THE GROUND AND AN ADJACENT TREE. WHEN THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTORS ARRIVED ON THE SCENT, A 16-INCH SECTION OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT COULD NOT BE FOUND. (-23) INSPECTOR'S STATEMENT: MY NAME IS DAN M. MALONE. I AM EMPLOYED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, JACKSON, MS AS AN AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR (OPERATIONS). THIS STATEMENT IS IN REFERENCE TO AIRCRAFT N32PH, A BELL 47G-3B HELICOPTER, THAT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 04/19/99, AT APPROX. 0730, AT THOMASTOWN, MISSISSIPPI. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDING UPON A REFUELER TRUCK TO DROP THE LAND OWNER OFF AND BEGIN THE SPRAY OPERATION. I ALONG WITH CHARLES WHITTINGTON ARRIVED AT CARTHAGE, MISSISSIPPI, AT APPROX. 10:45 AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS ESCORTED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AT APPROX. 11:25. MR. ANTHONY GRAY ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER WE ARRIVED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED FROM HIS MEMORY. HE STATED THAT HE HAD LANDED IN THE FIELD AWAY FROM THE TRUCK TO WAIT FOR LAND, THEN DEPARTED TO FLY AROUND THE FIELD AND LET MR. SAM WAGGONNER DESCRIBE WHAT AREA'S HE WANTED SPRAYED. HE MADE AN APPROACH TO THE TRUCK DOWN WIND TO LAND SO AS TO LET HIS PASSENGER OUT CLOSE TO THE LADDER. UPON TOUCH DOWN HE LANDED LIGHTLY AND DESCRIBED THAT HE NEEDED TO REPOSITION THE AIRCRAFT AND PICK THE AIRCRAFT UP AND MOVED BACKWARDS INTO THE WIND, IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER HE EXPERIENCED LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR CONTROL. MR. GRAY AT FIRST ASSUMED THAT HIS PASSENGER HAD PUSHED THE RIGHT TAIL ROTOR PEDAL CAUSING THE ROTATION, AND CA LLED TO THE PASSENGER TO REMOVE HIS FOOT. AT SOME POINT IN THE ROTATION MR. GRAY DECIDED THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AND TRIED TO MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT AWAY FROM THE TRUCK AND GROUND CREW. HE THEN DECIDED TO TRY AND LAND THE AIRCRAFT AND LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AT WHICH TIME THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND ON THE RIGHT SKID AND THE MAIN ROTOR MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND FOUR (4) TIMES BEFORE HITTING A TREEE TO HIS 12:00 OCLOCK POSITION AND BOUNCING BACK AND SETTLING TO THE GROUND. MR. GRAY STATED THAT THE GROUND CREW HEARD A LOUD BANG AND SAW A PIECE OF THE AIRCRAFT FLY AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE TAIL ROTOR STOP TURNING, AS THE ROTATIONS BEGAN. THIS IS VALIDATED BY THE STATEMENTS OF BOTH CREW WRITTEN STATEMENTS. DURING THE INVESTIGATION OF THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT I FOUND THE THROTTLE FULL OPEN AND THE RIGHT PEDAL FULL FORWARD. THE AIRCRAFT FROM MY OPINION AND KNOWLEDGE WAS DESTROYED AND BEYOND REPAIR. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT ANY PROFESSED INJURY, EXCEPT FOR SOME BRUISES AND ACHES. IT IS MY OPINION THAT MR. GRAY SHOULD HAVE EXECUTED AN AUTO ROTATION BY CLOSING THE THROTTLE FIRST AND THEN WHEN THE ROTATION STOPPED AN AUTO ROTATION EXECUTED TO TH E GROUND WITH GROUND CUSHION BY COLLECTIVE AND DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BY CYCLICCONTROL. SIGNED BY DAN M. MALONE, PRINCIPAL OPERATIONS INSPECTOR. (.4) THE PILOT STATED HE WAS PULLING UP THE AERIAL SPRAY RIGGED HELICOPTER FROM THE PLATFORM OF THE 'NURSE TRUCK' IN ORDER TO REPOSITION FOR A BETTER PLACEMENT ON THE PLATFORM, WHEN HE EXPERIENCED UNCOMMANDED ROTATION. HIS GROUND CREW STATED, AS HE PULLED UP, A PIECE OF THE AIRCRAFT FLEW OFF AND THE TAIL ROTOR BEGAN TO SPIN DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO AN UNCONTROLLABLE ROTATION, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES COLLIDED WITH AN ADJACENT SMALL TREE STAND. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE TERRAIN, THE RIGHT LANDING SKID COLLAPSED, AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE AND INTERVIEWS OF THE PILOT, PASSENGER, AND GROUND CREW REVEALED THE APPROACH AND PULL UP FOR THE SECOND APPROACH WERE INTO DOWNWIND CONDITIONS. THE PIECE OF THE AIRCRAFT THAT FLEW OFF WAS A SECTION OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. EXCEPT FOR THE MISSING PIECE OF SHAFT, NO MECHANICAL ABNORMALITIES COULD BE FOUND IN THE PILOT CONTROLS, ENGINE, OR DRIVE TRAIN. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA99LA133](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA133), Apr 19, 1999: Bell 47G-3B1 (N32PH), Thomastown, MS, substantial damage. Probable cause: An in-flight loss of control caused by the main rotor severing the tail rotor drive shaft as a result of the pilot's cyclic pull-up into a tailwind for his second approach and landing. The loss of… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.