- Date
- August 10, 1987, 10:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Dothan, AL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N10175Bell 47G (TOM CAT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870810043879A
- Case key
- 7498
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 plt rprtd that while he was making a turn-around over trees after the 1st swath run, the helicopter enctrd a sudden wind change. He stated that the wind cond was from a cumulus buildup which put him in a tailwind situation. As he completed his turn with near zero airspeed, the helicopter bgn to settle with power. The plt tried to fly out of the situation, but the tail rotor struck a tree limb & separated, causing the helicopter to spin. The plt rolled off the throttle in an atmt to make an autorotation & the helicopter touched down hard.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N10175
- Reported as
- Bell 47G (TOM CAT) (47G (TOM C)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1272
- Airframe hours
- 7,996
- Engine
- Franklin 210, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Allison, Rodney V., doing business as Allison Aviation
- Registered owner
- Allison, Rodney V
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 2, 1987 · 250 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
- 65
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 20,500 total · 600 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DHN, 5 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 N10175 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.