What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 18, 2014, N47DT a Bell 47 helicopter which was conducting agricultural spray operations made contact with a power line pole guide wire while attempting to fly under a set of power lines while spraying a cornfield. The aircrafts windshield and instrument console struck the guide wire at 20 ft AGL causing the pilot to lose control of the aircraft. Witnesses who saw the accident, removed the pilot from the wreckage before it was partially consumed by a post-crash fire.
At the time of the accident the pilot was wearing a flight helmet, however due to the severe impact with the surface the flight helmet was separated from the pilot causing additional head injuries. It is unclear if the pilot had fastened the chinstrap on the flight helmet. The pilot sustained serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 18, 2014, N47DT A BELL 47 HELICOPTER WHICH WAS CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL SPRAY OPERATIONS MADE CONTACT WITH A POWER LINE POLE GUIDE WIRE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY UNDER A SET OF POWER LINES WHILE SPRAYING A CORNFIELD. THE AIRCRAFTS WINDSHIELD AND INSTRUMENT CONSOLE STRUCK THE GUIDE WIRE AT 20 FT AGL CAUSING THE PILOT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. WITNESSES WHO SAW THE ACCIDENT, REMOVED THE PILOT FROM THE WRECKAGE BEFORE IT WAS PARTIALLY CONSUMED BY A POST-CRASH FIRE.
AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT WAS WEARING A FLIGHT HELMET, HOWEVER DUE TO THE SEVERE IMPACT WITH THE SURFACE THE FLIGHT HELMET WAS SEPARATED FROM THE PILOT CAUSING ADDITIONAL HEAD INJURIES. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE PILOT HAD FASTENED THE CHINSTRAP ON THE FLIGHT HELMET. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N47DT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.