- Date
- October 2, 1982, 14:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Malta, MT
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7928SBell 47G3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 71553
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Loss of control - in flight
Weather condition - unfavorable windCause
Analysis
The pilot stated that he "was spraying the alfalfa field west to east" and that "there were tall cottonwood trees on three sides. A very sudden wind "came up" and "pushed" him into a tree.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7928S
- Reported as
- Bell 47G3B1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6598
- Airframe hours
- 326
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-B1A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Mendel Flying Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Mendel Flying Service, Inc.
- Departed
- C · Field, MT
- Destination
- C · Field, MT
- Airport
- MLK · Malta Municipal
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
- 56
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 12,791 total · 290 in this make and model · 12,726 as pilot in command · 145 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 145 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
Other investigations on N7928S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.