# Accident 20131206023419A: Texas Helicopter Corp M74L, Sebring, FL, December 6, 2013 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 6, 2013, 16:30 local time - Place: Sebring, FL - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: 3JDG - Location: 27.4633° N, 81.3667° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.4633&lon=-81.3667&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1001N, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1001N-2018-05-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Texas Helicopter M74L (registry code 8930107, https://openairdocs.org/model/texas-helicopter-m74l) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming VO-435 series (registry code 41525, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-vo-435-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: TEXAS HELICOPTER CORP M74L - Reported engine: LYCOMING VO-435 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 11,052 total, 225 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA14FA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA066) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20131206023419A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JANUARY 6, 2013, AT OR ABOUT 1630 EST, JON EDWARD WHITAKER, HOLDER OF COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER 542861953, WHILE ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF A TEXAS HELICOPTER CORPORATION, M74, HELICOPTER, CRASHED WHILE RETURNING TO THE SEBRING REGIONAL AIRPORT, SEBRING, FLORIDA, AFTER COMPLETION OF A 14 CFR 137 AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATION. THE AIRMAN WAS KILLED AND THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED. WITNESS MARKS ON THE GROUND AND WRECKAGE SEPARATION INDICATES THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW LEFT BANK. A WITNESS MARK WAS IDENTIFIED WHERE ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HIT THE GROUND WHILE ROTATING. ENGINE COOLING FAN BLADE DAMAGE INDICATES THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT THE HELICOPTER APPEARS TO HAVE BOUNCED AND ROLLED 270 DEGREES COUNTER CLOCKWISE ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS COMING TO A REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE AIRMAN WAS CURRENT AND QUALIFIED TO OPERATE THE HELICOPTER IN 14 CFR 137 OPERATIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRMAN?S PILOT LOGBOOK INDICATED HE LOGGED APPROXIMATELY 10,000 HOURS OF ROTORCRAFT AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION EXPERIENCE. A REVIEW OF THE AIRMAN?S AEROMEDICAL RECORDS PROVIDED BY CAMI REVEALED NOTHING WHICH WOULD HAVE INHIBITED THE AIRMAN?S ABILITY TO PILOT THE HELICOPTER. AN AUTOPSY WAS PERFORMED AND TOXICOLOGY WAS SENT TO CAMI. RESULTS HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED TO DATE. THE AIRMAN WAS APPLYING A PESTICIDE, DANITOL 2.4 EC, WHICH IS A NERVOUS SYSTEM TOXIN, DURING THE WEEK OF THE ACCIDENT. THE DANITOL 2.4 EC WAS APPLIED WITH ONE DOOR OF THE HELICOPTER REMOVED AND WITHOUT THE USE OF A RESPIRATOR. A DETERMINATION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED SOME SORT OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT COULD NOT BE MADE AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE HELICOPTER WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE AIRWORTHY BY LLB OF THE ST. LOUIS FSDO ON OCTOBER 30, 2013. ON SCENE INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED NO READILY APPARENT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES. THERE APPEARED TO BE PROPER CONTROL CONTINUITY PRIOR TO IMPACT. ON SCENE INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER?S ENGINE ALSO REVEALED NO APPARENT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES. AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS HAVE BEEN REQUESTED FOR REVIEW BUT HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED TO DATE. INSPECTION OF THE NURSE TRUCK, WHICH WAS USED TO FUEL THE HELICOPTER, REVEALED THAT FUEL PUMPED FROM THE FUELING SYSTEM WAS INITIALLY DISCOLORED BUT, TURNED CLEAR AND BLUE AFTER ONE TO TWO GALLONS WERE PUMPED. ANALYSIS OF THE FUEL FILTER AND HOSE HAS YET TO BE COMPLETED. WEATHER WAS GOOD VFR AND WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A FACTOR. TO DATE, NO FAA RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THIS ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION. ANY ADDITIONAL FINDINGS RESULTING FROM THE AUTOPSY, TOXICOLOGY, MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVIEW, ENGINE RUN/TEARDOWN, OR FUEL ANALYSIS WILL BE INCLUDED IN AN AMENDED REPORT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS HELICOPTER WAS CERTIFIED AS A RESTRICTED USE AIRCRAFT. ## 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 ERA14FA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA066), Dec 6, 2013: Texas Helicopter M74L (N1001N), Sebring, FL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: A partial loss of engine power as a result of contamination of the engine’s fuel supply, and the pilot’s impaired performance due to his use of diphenhydramine, which resulted in his inability to… ## Other reports on N1001N (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20130816015559I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130816015559I), Aug 16, 2013: Texas Helicopter Corp M74L (N1001N), Hamburg, MN, Minor damage. While performing aerial application on a field near Hamburg, MN on 08/16/2013, the pilot stated he was operating north to south on a narrow field and struck 2… - [Incident 20080606846719I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080606846719I), Jun 6, 2008: Bell OH13M74TEXH (N1001N), Almena, WI, Minor damage. (-23) On 06/06/2008 at approximately 08:00, the pilot of the aircraft was performing aerial application of fungicide on a field near Almena, WI. While climbing… - [Accident 19980731019139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980731019139A), Jul 31, 1998: N1001N, Grand Forks, ND, Substantial damage. (-23) On July 31, 1998, at 1930 central daylight time (CDT), a bell 47, N1001N, operated by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced… 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.