- Date
- October 1, 1983, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pliny, WV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1334XBell 47G-3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831001052579A
- Case key
- 6225
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The helicopter was being used in the construction of elect transmission lines. A 150-FT longline cable had been utilizedon an earlier flight for lifting external loads. However, there was no reason for the longline to be attached on the accident flight as the pax were being transported in conjunction with their construction & inspection duties. The helicopter took off with the longline attached & no external load. After takeoff, the helicopter moved forward about 200 ft to a treeline & began a left turn, away from tower 51 where the takeoff was initiated, toward a point where one of the pax was to be discharged. As the helicopter flew over the trees the longline became entangled in the trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1334X
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6555
- Airframe hours
- 6,976
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Operator
- Beartooth Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Blain Sales Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 14, 1983 · 81 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,625 total · 310 in this make and model · 287 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRW, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N1334X · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.