- Date
- May 4, 1983, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Thorndale, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5747LBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830504017159A
- Case key
- 20890
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.
Analysis
The acft approached the field to be surveyed and collided with a wire at about 30 ft AGL. According to the plt during the actual survey the acft is hovered at low alt. When the plt saw the wire ahead the reported airspeed was about 20 ktsthe collective was lowered on impact and during severe oscillations the plt initiated a flare and secured the engine. A hard landing was made which collapsed the skids and the acft rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5747L
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3079
- Airframe hours
- 1,424
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pumpkin Air Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 7, 1983 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- Austin, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 27
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,652 total · 980 in this make and model · 1,601 as pilot in command · 155 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.