- Date
- October 27, 1989, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wettumpka, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9025Bell 47G2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891027043779A
- Case key
- 8085
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to avoid obstacles during aerial application maneuvering.
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
In his report of the accident the pilot stated that the tail of the helicopter struck a tree during a turn while conducting spraying operations. The helicopter rolled onto its left side with the engine still operating. A grass fire erupted which resulted in the destruction of the helicopter. The pilot recommended that he should not have been in too big of a hurry.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9025
- Reported as
- Bell 47G2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2292
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Roy L. Morris
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1988 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- Elmore, AL
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,000 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MGM, 15 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.