- Date
- June 11, 1991, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lasalle, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N73284Bell 47G3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910611021339A
- Case key
- 14851
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 clearance from the terrain. A related factor is the pilot's misjudged altitude above the crop.
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 that he was performing aerial application operations over a wheat field when the accident occurred. He was flying his first spray swath on the field when the spray boom contacted the crop. The helicopter impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. The pilot's recommendation was to fly his spray swaths at a higher altitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73284
- Reported as
- Bell 47G3B1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2908
- Airframe hours
- 9,016
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Tery Jon Aviation
- Registered owner
- Tery Jon Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1991 · 68 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,320 total · 50 in this make and model · 2,175 as pilot in command · 68 in the last 90 days · 66 in the last 30 days · 14 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
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 N73284 · 5
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.