- Date
- July 10, 2007, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Jesup, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8140JBell 47G-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Des Moines, IA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070710016709A
- Case key
- 66478
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 inability to maintain control of the helicopter when it unexpectedly encountered a whirlwind shortly after takeoff.
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 helicopter impacted the ground following a loss of control when it encountered a whirlwind on takeoff. The pilot reported that he stopped spraying because the winds had increased. He stated that he landed and spoke with his ground crew then decided to fly the helicopter back to his home airport. He reported that the local winds were from the west-southwest at 12 mph gusting to 20 mph. He stated that he took off over a cornfield and had just passed through translational lift when he noticed a whirlwind in front of him and slightly to his left. He stated that the next thing he knew he was in the whirlwind. He stated that he felt the helicopter shake then it rolled to the right. The helicopter came to rest upside down in the cornfield.
Factual narrative
The helicopter impacted the ground following a loss of control when it encountered a whirlwind on takeoff. The pilot reported he stopped spraying because the winds had increased. He stated he landed and spoke with his ground crew then decided to fly the helicopter back to his home airport. He reported the local winds were from the west-southwest at 12 mph gusting to 20 mph. He stated he took off over a cornfield and had just passed through translational lift when he noticed a whirlwind in front of him and slightly to his left. He stated that the next thing he knew he was in the whirlwind. He stated he felt the helicopter shake then it rolled to the right. The helicopter came to rest upside down in the cornfield.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8140J
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-5
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 25008
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- RI Tel Copter Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Jesup, IA
- Destination
- Hudson, IA
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 4,387 total · 3,690 in this make and model · 42 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots, gusting 17
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 N8140J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.