- Date
- July 10, 1985, 18:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Coal Valley, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8951FHughes 269A1A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850710075909A
- Case key
- 13134
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
During an aerial application run the plt reported a 'split second loss of power.' He lost directional control of the helicopter and it settled into tall corn. Impact resulted in loss of the main rotor blades, severence of the tail cone and separation of the skids. Examination of the fuel, eng components and an eng run disclosed no failure/malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8951F
- Reported as
- Hughes 269A1A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 150027
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-B1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Aztec Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 30, 1985
- Departed
- Genesco, IL
- Destination
- Coal Valley, IL
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 477 total · 469 in this make and model · 430 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD, 120 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.