Pilot Debrief

Bell 47G-3B near Kenyon, MN — 2008-08-14

Final reportCHI08CA254
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Date
2008-08-14
Location
Kenyon, MN, USA
Aircraft
Bell 47G-3B
Registration
N47AH
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning which resulted in the helicopter settling with power.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported he had flown the helicopter on several aerial application flights earlier in the day, and that the humidity had increased as the weather cleared. He stated that the initial takeoff was normal, but that when he was about 100 yards from the support truck, the rotor rpm began to decay, and the helicopter settled into a soybean field. The spray boom caught in the crop, and the helicopter pitched forward, which resulted in the main rotor blades contacting the ground. The aft section of the tail boom, including the tail rotor, separated from the helicopter. The pilot reported there was no mechanical malfunction/failure with the helicopter. He did report that he should have decreased his load due to the weather conditions.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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