- Date
- October 9, 1992, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Centre, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N31FGBell 47G-3B-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921009045309A
- Case key
- 8692
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 maintain main rotor RPM, which resulted in an in flight loss of control and collision with terrain.
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 reported that while performing a maneuver (turn to reverse direction), he allowed the main rotor RPM to decay. He lost control of the helicopter, and it bounced into a field. The aircraft became airborne again, and the RPM decayed once more. The helicopter then crashed into the field, and the tail boom was severed by the main rotor blades during impact. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction or failure with the helicopter during the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31FG
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3834
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-B1A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Speth, Stephen F.
- Registered owner
- Coastal Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- A04 · Centre, AL
- Destination
- A04
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,400 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANB, 36 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 N31FG · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.