- Date
- May 14, 1982, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Thornton, IA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8426EBell 47G2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820514016079A
- Case key
- 72814
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
During the downwind turn for the fourth spraying pass the pilot encountered a gust of wind. The pilot stated he applied power, collective and cyclic to level off at spraying altitude but the wind was too strong to prevent the tailboom from striking the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8426E
- Reported as
- Bell 47G2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2473
- Airframe hours
- 3,622
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1B, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Robert J. Valley
- Registered owner
- Robert J. Valley
- Departed
- Thornton, IA
- Destination
- Thornton, IA
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 614 total · 295 in this make and model · 547 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 156 °F
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 N8426E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.