- Date
- August 21, 1992, 17:31 local (22:31 UTC)
- Place
- Marshall, IN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N203SDBell 47G-3B-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920821032679A
- Case key
- 15525
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 control of the helicopter due to his alcoholic impairment of efficiency and judgement.
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 passenger stated that the pilot was demonstrating how he used the helicopter to pollinate corn; the demonstration was conducted about 25 ft AGL over a crop field. At the end of the field the pilot pulled the helicopter up sharply at a steep angle and turned left. The helicopter instantly impacted the terrain. The pilot's emergency toxicology screen showed a blood alcohol level of 215 mg/dl, and a positive detection of cannabinoid in his urine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N203SD
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3513
- Airframe hours
- 5,650
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-D1, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rainbow Plastics, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 19, 1992 · 10 hours before
- Destination
- NONE
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 483 total · 320 in this make and model · 410 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HUF, 27 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.