- Date
- August 15, 1992, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Slocomb, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2880BBell 47G-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920815031379A
- Case key
- 8647
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
A hard landing due to a power loss from fuel exhaustion. A factor in the accident was the lack of sustable terrain for the landing.
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 had completed spraying a field, and was returning to his nurse truck. At about 200 feet AGL, the engine quit. He maneuvered the helicopter toward an open corn field, however he lost rotor RPM while avoiding obstacles. The helicopter landed hard, resulting in structural damage. One pint of fuel was drained from the fuel system after the accident. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2880B
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1966
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1D, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Diamond, John J.
- Registered owner
- Diamond, John J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 4, 1992 · 142 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Slocomb, 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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,454 total · 1,148 in this make and model · 1,243 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DHN, 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.
Other investigations on N2880B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.