# Accident 20000909005949A: Bell 47G3B2, Pinehill, AL, September 9, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 9, 2000, 14:15 local time - Place: Pinehill, AL - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only) - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: ZIOL - Location: 31.9804° N, 87.5805° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.9804&lon=-87.5805&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2243W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2243W-2003-11-13) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell 47G-3B-2 (registry code 1181029, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-3b-2) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TVO-435-GIA (registry code 41526, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tvo-435-gia) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 47G3B2 - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C10D - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 30,000 total, 5,000 in this make and model, 300 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL00LA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL00LA086) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000909005949A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) PILOT WAS INTERRUPTED BY CUSTOMER WHILE UNTYING STRAPS SECURING HELICOPTER TO TRANSPORT TRAILER DURING RELOCATION. HE HAD UNTIED THREE OF FOUR STRAPS AND RETURNED TO HELICOPTER AND ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFFF WITH FOURTH STRAP STILL SECURED. HELICOPTER TILTED TO RIGHT AND ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND, SEVERLY DAMAGING THE HELICOPTER. (.4)ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2000, AT 1415 CDT, A BELL 47G-3B-2, N2243W,REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY AERIAL APPLICATION TECHNOLOGOGIES, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE GORUND DURING AN ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF FROM A TRAILER 20 MILES NORTH OF PINE HILL, AL. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFIED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 137. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING FROM PINE HILL, ALABAMA, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONDUCT TIMBER SPRAYING, HE NEGLECTED TO UNTIE ONE OF THE SKID TIE DOWNS PRIOR TO LIFTOFF FROM THE TRAILER ON WHICH THE HELICOPTER WAS POSITIONED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION AWAY FROM HIS PREFLIGHT ACTIONS TO SPEAK WITH THE CUSTOMER ABOUT THE BLOCK AREA OF TIMBER HE WAS TO SPRAY. WHEN THE BRIEFING WAS OVER, HE GOT IN THE HELICOPTER, STARTED THE ENGINE, AND ATTEMPTED TO LIFTOFF. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER TO THE RIGHT AND SUBSEQUENTLY COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND, SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE HELICOPTER. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WERE FOUND DURING THE POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER. ## 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 ATL00LA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL00LA086), Sep 9, 2000: Bell 47G-3B-2 (N2243W), Pine Hill, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to adequately preflight the helicopter, which resulted in his failure to remove the tie down. ## Other reports on N2243W (6) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19970819023179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970819023179A), Aug 19, 1997: Bell 47G3B2 (N2243W), Montrose, CO, Substantial damage. Helicopter was attempting a rotation and made a hard landing. - [Accident 19880624025849A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880624025849A), Jun 24, 1988: Bell 47G3B2 (N2243W), Terry, MT, Substantial damage. Ran out of fuel en route. Lost rotor RPM during autorotation while clearing wires. Fell vertically to the ground. - [Incident 19870416030149I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870416030149I), Apr 16, 1987: Bell 47G3B2 (N2243W), Carbondale, CO, Minor damage. Helicopter settled through crusty snow during attempt to move aircraft. Tail rotor damage. - [Accident 19810930065139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810930065139A), Sep 30, 1981: Bell 47G3B2 (N2243W), Albany, OR, Substantial damage. During practice autorotation landing skid dropped into rut causing helicoptor to tip. Rotor blades struck ground. - [Incident 19800513049329I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800513049329I), May 13, 1980: Bell 47G3B2 (N2243W), Albany, OR, Minor damage. During flair, prior to touchdown, float equipped copter, tail rotor made contact with water. - [Accident 19800328010469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800328010469A), Mar 28, 1980: Bell 47G3B2 (N2243W), Albany, OR, Substantial damage. Student pulled collective late on practice autorotation landing. Hard, uneven touchdown cut off tail boom. 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.