- Date
- August 7, 1991, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Harvard, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N48298Mcdonnell Douglas 269A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 14804
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 adequate rotor RPM during aerial application maneuvers. A related factor was the pilot's inattention.
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 stated he pulled up after a spray pass and turned to reverse direction. He reported he noted a deterioration in rotor RPM, and his remedial action 'resulted in an immediate and rapid rate of descent...the helicopter hit the ground...turned to the right and rolled over.' The pilot stated he did not pay sufficient attention to the flight, he was preoccupied and did not maintain rotor speed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48298
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas 269A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6618313
- Engine
- Lycoming HI0360B1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Jims Agri Air
- Registered owner
- Jims Agri Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · Sutton, NE
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 5,400 total · 409 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point -0 °F