- Date
- July 27, 1990, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Clayhatchee, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7153Bell-Continental Copters 47G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 8090
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
Failure of the engine magneto(s). The lack of suitable terrain (trees) in the emergency landing area was a related factor.
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 during an aerial application flt, the eng lost power as he maneuvered the helicopter (pulled up) over a tree line. An autorotative landing was made in the trees. An investigation revealed the left magneto would not fire; however, it functioned normally after its coil was relaced. Eng records indicated the magnetos had been overhauled on 1/14/80, aprx 96 flt hrs before the acdnt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7153
- Reported as
- Bell-Continental Copters 47G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- CCI-69-1
- Airframe hours
- 917
- Engine
- Franklin O-335, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Bug Busters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- L.L. Lewis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 5, 1990 · 96 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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 300 in this make and model · 10,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point -0 °F
Other investigations on N7153 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.