- Date
- September 18, 1989, 07:35 local (14:35 UTC)
- Place
- Monitor, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N83111Bell 47G3B2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890918035329A
- Case key
- 41083
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 pilot failed to maintain aircraft separation from obstacles on the ground. A factor in the accident was the bright glare from the rising sun.
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 aircraft impacted a 35 ft. high wind machine while the pilot was making an aerial application swath run, spraying an apple orchard. The aircraft was traveling toward the east, facing a bright rising morning sun.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83111
- Reported as
- Bell 47G3B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6857
- Airframe hours
- 4,414
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Cascade Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 1989 · 105 hours before
- Departed
- Monitor, WA
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
- 47
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 6,900 total · 508 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EAT, 11 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 N83111 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.