- Date
- July 15, 1998, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Citronelle, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1001FTexas Helicopter OH-13H/M47A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980715016709A
- Case key
- 43197
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to control the helicopter's altitude while overflying an area of rising terrain and trees.
Analysis
As the spray helicopter turned downwind en route to his spray tract, he entered a sinking condition from which application of full power did not prevent colliding with trees situated along a ridgeline.
Factual narrative
On July 15, 1998, about 1800 central daylight time, a Texas Helicopters OH-13H/M-47A, N1001F, registered to Gulf Helicopters, Inc., and operating as a 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight, crashed near the town of Citronelle, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter received substantial damage and the commercial-rated pilot was not injured. The flight originated from a truck-mounted helipad about five minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated that after flying a short upwind leg to gain altitude from the helipad launch, and executing a 180 degree turn en route to his spray tract, in straight and level flight at 100 feet agl, at about 50 mph, he started sinking. Despite application of full throttle and dumping of his load of 100 gallons of herbicide, the sinking condition continued until collision with the tree tops situated near the top of a ridgeline. The pilot further stated he is convinced the accident was not a result of engine power degradation. He stated that prevailing winds at his location at the time of the accident were 2 to 5 mph from a westerly direction, or a tailwind.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1001F
- Reported as
- Texas Helicopter OH-13H/M47A (OH-13H/M47)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 79-033
- Airframe hours
- 452
- Engine
- Lycoming VO 540 B1, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Gulf Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 2, 1998 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- Citronelle, AL
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 26,000 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOB, 28 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 N1001F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.