- Date
- July 30, 2003, 06:10 local (10:10 UTC)
- Place
- Jackson, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7796CBell 47G-2A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Philadelphia FSDO
- Case key
- 57588
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
Pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to remove a pesticide spraying hose from the helicopter prior to takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control.
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 pilot performed two aerial application flights over the amusement park, and landed to reload chemicals for the third flight of the morning. He stated he was "in a hurry," and did not confirm that the right side chemical loading hose was disconnected from the helicopter, prior to takeoff for the third flight. As the pilot initiated takeoff, the loading hose "pulled" the helicopter downward, and it impacted the ground.
Factual narrative
On July 30, 2003, at 0610 eastern daylight time, a Bell 47G-2A helicopter, N7796C, was substantially damaged during takeoff from the Six Flags Amusement Park, in Jackson, New Jersey. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the agricultural application flight which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 137.
According to the pilot, he performed two flights over the amusement park, and landed to reload chemicals for the third flight of the morning. He stated he was "in a hurry" for several reasons, and did not confirm that the right side chemical loading hose was disconnected from the helicopter prior to takeoff for the third flight.
As the pilot initiated takeoff, the loading hose "pulled" the helicopter downward, and it impacted the ground.
The pilot reported 8,415 hours of total flight experience in rotorcraft, 6,000 of which were in make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7796C
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1486
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435A1F, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- East Coast Helicopter Inc, doing business as East Coast Helicopters
- Registered owner
- East Coast Helicopter Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · Jackson, NJ
- Destination
- NONE · Jackson, NJ
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 18, 2002
- Flight hours
- 8,526 total · 6,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- TTN