- Date
- June 15, 1988, 07:10 local (12:10 UTC)
- Place
- Benoit, MS
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N73947Bell 47G3B-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880615046519A
- Case key
- 32022
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 plt said the engine misfired three times during takeoff and lost partial power. The helicopter settled into a rice field and the damaged spray booms became entangled. The helicopter nosed over in the high vegetation. The plt stated the engine accelerated and shutdown as the aircraft came to rest inverted. Examination of the carburetor bowl revealed rust. Two 1/4 inch particles of rust were lying in the bottom of the bowl. No water was found in the engine or fuel system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73947
- Reported as
- Bell 47G3B-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2821
- Airframe hours
- 10,673
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-B1B, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Gray'S Flying Service, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Gray'S Flying Service Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 2, 1987 · 52 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 13,000 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 13,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GLH, 10 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.
Other investigations on N73947 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.