- Date
- September 12, 1991, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Miltonfreewater, OR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N73865Bell 47G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910912039729A
- Case key
- 41532
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 factor in that the pilot failed to insure there was adequate clearance from obstacles for a safe takeoff. A factor to the accident was: the pilot's poor preflight planning/preparation.
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
Shortly after takeoff for an aerial application flight, the right side spray boom caught on a tree which pulled the helicopter to the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73865
- Reported as
- Bell 47G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7
- Engine
- Franklin 6V350, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Bma Inc.
- Registered owner
- Bma Inc.
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
- 45
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 5,816 total · 485 in this make and model · 280 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °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 N73865 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.