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20230812011319A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 47G-5 · Mifflinville, PA · August 12, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 12, 2023 · 09:40 local
Place
Mifflinville, PA
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
MTQG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1503L
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA23LA332
Reported as
Bell 47G-5
Reported engine
Lycoming VO-435-B1A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,325 total490 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N1503LRegistered now · Bell 47G-5S/N 25042 · Built 1971Airframe modelBell 47G-5Engine modelLycoming VO-435-B1AReciprocating

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.

A Bell 47 helicopter was aerial spraying a corn field located near privacy data omitted. When it contacted utility power lines with the left skid. Evidence showed at the scene, a portion of the left skid and spray boom with power wires attached were hanging from a tree. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the pilot suffered fatal injuries.

The helicopter was operated in accordance with title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 137.

Two witness’s were interviewed, the witness who lived in the house adjacent to the corn field stated she had heard the noise from the helicopter striking the power line and then looked out the window and saw the helicopter contacting the ground, but was not able to add any further details.

The second witness lived south west of the accident site, she provided a video from her phone you could not see the helicopter at the time of contacting the wires, however the audio was clear and the engine sound was smooth and appeared to be operating properly prior to the accident.

As the FAA filed it

A BELL 47 HELICOPTER WAS AERIAL SPRAYING A CORN FIELD LOCATED NEAR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WHEN IT CONTACTED UTILITY POWER LINES WITH THE LEFT SKID. EVIDENCE SHOWED AT THE SCENE, A PORTION OF THE LEFT SKID AND SPRAY BOOM WITH POWER WIRES ATTACHED WERE HANGING FROM A TREE. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES.

THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 137.

TWO WITNESS’S WERE INTERVIEWED, THE WITNESS WHO LIVED IN THE HOUSE ADJACENT TO THE CORN FIELD STATED SHE HAD HEARD THE NOISE FROM THE HELICOPTER STRIKING THE POWER LINE AND THEN LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND SAW THE HELICOPTER CONTACTING THE GROUND, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO ADD ANY FURTHER DETAILS.

THE SECOND WITNESS LIVED SOUTH WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, SHE PROVIDED A VIDEO FROM HER PHONE YOU COULD NOT SEE THE HELICOPTER AT THE TIME OF CONTACTING THE WIRES, HOWEVER THE AUDIO WAS CLEAR AND THE ENGINE SOUND WAS SMOOTH AND APPEARED TO BE OPERATING PROPERLY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

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 ERA23LA332Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportMifflinville, PAThe pilot’s failure to see and avoid powerlines during an aerial application flight.Aug 12, 2023 · Destroyed