- Date
- November 16, 1993, 17:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Eufaula, AL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N614XBell-Carson 47G-SUPER C-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 17, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931116042899A
- Case key
- 3327
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 aircraft control. A factor was the pilot's limited helicopter flight experience.
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 pilot was attempting to transfer the helicopter from a trailer to the ground. The pilot lost control of the aircraft, struck the trailer, and crashed. The pilot did not hold a helicopter rating.
Factual narrative
On November 16, 1993, at 1715 central standard time, a Bell-Carson 47G-Super C-4, N614X, was substantially damaged following a collision with terrain near Eufaula, Alabama. The commercial pilot was seriously injured in the accident. The aircraft was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by Williams Flying Service of Eufaula, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed for the local positioning flight.
Witnesses stated that the helicopter was attempting to reposition from a platform, located on an agricultural chemical loading truck, to a ground landing pad when the accident occurred. The aircraft caught fire and burned following the collision with the terrain. The pilot did not hold a helicopter rating nor did he posess the qualifications needed for the operation of helicopters.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N614X
- Reported as
- Bell-Carson 47G-SUPER C-4 (47G-SUPER)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- C-5012
- Airframe hours
- 1,600
- Engine
- Franklin GV335-5D, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Williams, Freddy L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 12, 1993 · 94 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · Private
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
- 43
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 17 in this make and model · 8,500 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DHN, 35 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 N614X · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.