- Date
- September 8, 1998, 20:30 local (Sep 9, 1998, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Buckhead Ridge, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N73957Bell BHT-47-G3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 17, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980908038889A
- Case key
- 43909
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The failure of the pilot to adequately compensate for a tailwind condition on liftoff from the helipad.
Analysis
As the aerial application helicopter was lifting off the trailer mounted helipad, a gust of wind from behind caused the rotorcraft to lurch forward and snag the toe of the right skid under a toolbox. In the process of disengaging the skid, the pilot set down off-center and slipped off the helipad edge, causing substantial damage to the helicopter and minor damage to the helipad.
Factual narrative
On September 8, 1998, about 2030 eastern daylight time, a Bell BHT-47-G3B1, N73957, registered to Clarke Environmental Mosquito Management, operating as a 14 CFR Part 137 public-use flight, crashed during takeoff from a trailer mounted helipad near Buckhead Ridge, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter received substantial damage, the trailer was slightly damaged, and the commercial-rated pilot was not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to the pilot's statement, a recent rain shower had wet everything previous to his takeoff. On liftoff, as the helicopter became light on its skids, a gust of wind from behind caused the craft to slide on the wet diamond metal plate platform enough to snag the toe of the right skid under a permanently mounted toolbox. As the pilot maneuvered to disengage the skid, the helicopter shifted rightward relative to the helipad centerline, and when he set the helicopter back down the right skid slipped off the right edge of the helipad. The main rotor collided with the ground resulting in substantial damage to the helicopter and minor damage to the aft edge of the helipad.
The flight was being operated under contract to the municipal agency, Glades County Mosquito Control of Glades County, Florida.
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
- N73957
- Reported as
- Bell BHT-47-G3B1 (BHT-47-G3B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2827
- Airframe hours
- 8,630
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 260 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clarke Environmental Mosquito
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 16, 1998 · 29 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 804 total · 93 in this make and model · 23 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI, 57 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.