Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Friendsville, Maryland 21531
Tuesady, May 31, 1994 7:35 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES, IN THE TURBINE ENGINE CONVERTED BELL 47. THE HELICOPTER WAS OVER HILLY TERRAIN WITH TREE LINES. THE PILOT WAS FLYING AN UPHILL RUN AT 30 TO 40 FEET ABOVE TREE LEVEL, AT 60 TO 65 MILES PER HOUR, WHEN THERE WAS A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY TO AN OPEN AREA WITH PARTIAL POWER. THE HELICOPTER STRUCK A TREE AS IT APPROACHED THE EDGE OF A CLEARING. AFTER THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON THE GROUND, THE PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN WITH THE TWIST GRIP THROTTLE. THE TRANSMISSION, THE FREE WHEELING UNIT AND THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX WERE EXAMINED, AND NO DEFECTS WERE NOTED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED ACCIDENT RELATED IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE COMBUSTION LINER. THE LINER WAS REPLACED AND THE ENGINE PERFORMED NORMALLY DURING A TEST RUN.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE TURBINE ENGINE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, DURING AN AGRICULTURE MANEUVER AT LOW ALTITUDE, OVER TERRAIN UNSUITABLE FOR AN AUTOROTATION.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/31/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 735 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | FRIENDSVILLE |
| Event State | MARYLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 21531 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 750 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MRB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 557 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1000 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 399 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 31 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 750 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N121CD |
| NTSB Number | NYC94LA097 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 47G3 SOLOY |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 47G3 SOLOY |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3796 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 29 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 43 |
| Airframe Hours | 8509 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HELICOPTER APPLICATORS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 810, 100 BUCHIEMER RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | FREDRICK |
| Aircraft Owner State | MD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 21705 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 700 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |