- Date
- July 31, 1993, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Clarinda, IA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8480EBell 47G-3B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930731027219A
- Case key
- 15767
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 commercial pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from obstacles during aerial application maneuvers.
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 commercial pilot was engaged in aerial application maneuvers over flat terrain. He reported he assessed the field to locate obstacles, then made the first spray run from east to west. As the helicopter approached the east end of the field at the end of the second spray run, the pilot '...was again verifying the existance and location of power poles and looking for power lines. During climbout on east end of field power lines were impacted by skids... .' The helicopter came to rest inverted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8480E
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2651
- Airframe hours
- 1,937
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Ambrose, Walter J. Jr.
- Registered owner
- Ambrose, Walter J. Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 17, 1993 · 37 hours before
- Departed
- 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 2,500 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.