- Date
- June 25, 1992, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Centre, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N68632Bell 47D1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920625025579A
- Case key
- 8623
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 inadequate visual lookout, resulting in a collision with a wire.
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 ag pilot was spraying cotton for boll weevil eradication. He surveyed the field and set up for his first pass. While on the pass, the helicopter collided with a single wire strung near the corner of the field. The pilot lost control of the helicopter, and it crashed on the cotton field. The pilot stated that he did not see the wire during his initial survey of the field. He reported no mechanical problems with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N68632
- Reported as
- Bell 47D1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- WH5003
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Hoppe, Dennis
- Registered owner
- Avico, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000 · 78 hours before
- Departed
- A04 · Centre, AL
- Destination
- A04 · Centre, 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
- 49
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 9,881 total · 350 in this make and model · 9,643 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CKL, 90 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 N68632 · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.