Sikorsky UH-19D accident near Thomasville, Georgia, July 4, 1983
On July 4, 1983 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Sikorsky UH-19D (helicopter), registered N37785, was substantially damaged in an accident near Thomasville, Georgia. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1983 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Thomasville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky UH-19D · all UH-19Ds on the register
- Registration
- N37785 · no longer on the register · serial 57-5932
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A SWATH RUN AT ABOUT 5 FT AGL & WAS APPROACHING HI OBSTRUCTIONS WHEN THE PLT NOTED THAT THE NEEDLES SPLIT, THE ENG RPM INCREASED & THE MAIN ROTOR RPM BEGAN DECREASING. THE PLT TURNED TO AVOID THE OBSTRUCTIONS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO LEVEL THE ACFT BEFORE GROUND IMPACT. IT HIT THE GROUND IN A RIGHT SIDE, TAIL LOW, ATTITUDE & ROTATED TO THE RIGHT AFTER THE MAIN ROTOR MADE GROUND CONTACT. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE HYDROMECHANICAL CLUTCH HAD BEEN OVERHAULED & INSTALLED, 2.5 FLT HRS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. NO UNUSUAL WEAR, DEFECTIVE PARTS NOR IMPROPER ALIGNMENT OF THE CLUTCH WAS FOUND. THE CLUTCH HAD BEEN LUBRICATED WITH AN UPDATED OIL. THE MILITARY HAD UPGRADE MIL-L-2105 LUBRICANT TO MIL-L-2105B & C WITH NEW ADDITIVES TO PREVENT LOCKUP OF ITS LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIALS ON NEWER HELICOPTERS. HOWEVER,THE ADDITIVES WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH UH-19D HYDROMECHANICAL CLUTCHES WHICH USED A METAL-TO-METAL PRINCIPLE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, MIL-L-21260 TYPE 1, GRADE 30 OIL WAS MADE A SUBSTITUTE FOR MIL-L-2105A GRADE 80 OIL, WHICH WAS NO LONGER AVAIL
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,600 hours in all; 600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,684 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 11, 1983; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wright R-1300-3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TVI Thomasville GA at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from ABY, 41 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL83LA252.