- Date
- May 30, 1988, 09:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Cove Gap, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N48181Bell 47G3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 35973
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 helicopter plt was taking off from an area surrounded by trees & buildings for a local spray operation. The wind was calm. Reportedly, during the attempted departure, the plt 'exhausted all power available then made right turn to return to field.' After turning, the helicopter's tail rotor struck a power line that crossed the field near its edge, then the helicopter crashed in a nose down attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N48181
- Reported as
- Bell 47G3B1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3813
- Airframe hours
- 3,319
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-B1B, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- East Coast Helicopter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 4, 1988 · 93 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
- 39
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F