- Date
- July 9, 1990, 19:05 local (Jul 10, 1990, 00:05 UTC)
- Place
- Hatley, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6768DBell 47-G2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900709024939A
- Case key
- 14480
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 partial loss of power due to sticking intake valves.
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 was loaded with chemicals for agriculture dispersal on a truck mounted platform, ten feet above ground level. On liftoff the engine sustained a partial power reduction due to two sticking intake valves. The aircraft descended into the terrain when altitude proved insufficient to effect an autorotational forced landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6768D
- Reported as
- Bell 47-G2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2441
- Airframe hours
- 12,331
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Gitter, Gregory C., doing business as Central Wisconsin Helicopter
- Registered owner
- Central Wisconsin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 27, 1990 · 40 hours before
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
- 33
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,080 total · 375 in this make and model · 1,950 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CWA, 20 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 N6768D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.