LAKE CITY, MN, USA
N19JM
BELL 47 MARK-6
WHILE PERFORMING A LOW LEVEL AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION TURN, THE PILOT REPORTED COMPLETING HIS TURN AND HAVING A LOWER THAN NORMAL ROTOR RPM. THE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 74 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND THE HUMIDITY WAS REPORTED BY THE PILOT AS HIGH. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET. ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN RPM AND LEVEL OFF WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL, AND THE HELICOPTER SPRAY BOOMS CONTACTED THE CORN CROP. THE HELICOPTER STOPPED AND OVERTURNED.
On August 26, 1994, at 1745 hours central daylight time, a Bell BH-47 Mark-6 helicopter, N19JM, operated by Northland Helicopter, Inc., of Stacyville, Iowa, impacted in a crop field 4 miles south of Lake City, Minnesota, and was substantially damaged. The commercially certificated pilot was uninjured and no fire occurred. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 137 as an agricultural application aircraft, and the flight had originated from a tending vehicle near the accident site at 1530 hours CDT. The pilot reported that after making an application turn, rotor RPM decayed and he was unable to maintain level flight or regain the rotor rpm. The temperature was 74 degrees Farenheit, the humidity was described by the pilot as high, the elevation was 1300 feet above mean sea level, and the density altitude was at least 2000 feet. Post crash inspection of the helicopter and powerplant failed to reveal any discrepancies.
THE LOSS OF LIFT RESULTING FROM THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION TURN. THE POWER AVAILABLE FROM THE ENGINE WAS LESS THAN THAT REQUIRED TO REGAIN THE LOST ROTOR RPM.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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