Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Plains, Georgia 31709
Friday, September 29, 1989 16:40 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING A POSITIONING FLT, AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE HELICOPTER OCCURRED IN THE VICINITY OF WHERE IT WAS CROSSING A LINE OF TREES BETWEEN 2 CLEARED AREAS. WRECKAGE WAS FOUND SCATTERED OVER AN AREA OF APRX 300 YDS IN LENGTH, ALONG A HEADING OF 340 DEG. AT THE SE END, PIECES WERE FOUND FROM THE LEFT SPRAY BOOM & MAIN ROTOR AERODYNAMIC FAIRING. FURTHER TO THE NW, VARIOUS PARTS WERE FOUND FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER, LEFT SPRAY BOOM & TAIL ROTOR. THE MAIN ROTOR & MAIN ROTOR HUB WERE FOUND ABOUT 120 YDS TO THE RIGHT OF THE WRECKAGE PATH. THE FUSELAGE, ENG & TRANS- MISSION WERE FOUND ABOUT 240 YDS NW OF THE 1ST PART OF THE WRECKAGE. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM HAD SEPARATED DUE TO MAST BUMPING. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE LEFT SPRAY BOOM HAD CONTACTED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES DURING FLT. ALL OF THE FRACTURES OF THE SPRAY BOOM, STEEL TRUSS & ASSOC LUGS INDCD OVERLOAD FAILURE IN AFT & UPWARD DRCTN. THE SPRAY ASSEMBLY & BOOM HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR PART 23.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
IMPROPER MODIFICATION OF THE HELICOPTER BY THE COMPANY/OPERATOR, AND FAILURE OF THE SPRAY BOOM, WHICH RESULTED IN MAST BUMPING, AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE MAIN ROTOR ASSEMBLY.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/29/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1640 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | PLAINS |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31709 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | FAA |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1965 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 29 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1743 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41097 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N840MC |
| NTSB Number | ATL89DKG06 |
| 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 | UH-1B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | UH-1B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 60-3619 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7200 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 20 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 4 |
| Airframe Hours | 4921 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AGROTORS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1750 EMMITSBURG RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | GETTYSBURG |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 17325 |
| 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 | AGEA |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | PLAINS |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1635 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 82A |
| Destination City | BUENA VISTA |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |