Bell 47G N160CS

Summary

On 5 October 2015 at about 13:05 local time, a Bell 47G registered N160CS, operated by Custom Air LLC, was involved in an accident near Huntsville, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 October 2015 at 13:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Huntsville, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.7072, -95.2872

Aircraft

Bell 47G

Registration

N160CS

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1962

Engines

1

Operator

Custom Air LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Huntsville → Huntsville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA003

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's loss of helicopter control during an agricultural application pass for reasons that could not be determined due to the extent of damage to the flight control system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was conducting an agricultural application flight in the helicopter. He reported that the helicopter felt "awkward" during the spray pass shortly before the event but that he thought that it was due to an uncoordinated turn. During the next spray pass, the helicopter developed a right rolling tendency, which the pilot was initially able to counter with left cyclic control. He then entered a right turn with the intention of returning to the fuel truck. Once the right turn was initiated, he applied full left and aft cyclic control input but the helicopter did not respond. The helicopter began to lose altitude, impacted the ground, and then came to rest in an open field covered with low vegetation. The pilot reported that he did not feel any abnormal vibrations or hear any "pops" before the loss of control authority. He added that the flight went from routine to out of control in a matter of "seconds." A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of preimpact failures or malfunctions; however, the extent of damage to the flight control system precluded a complete examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.