Bell 204 UH 1B accident near Tams, West Virginia, July 20, 1984
On July 20, 1984 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Bell 204 UH 1B (helicopter), registered N91307, was destroyed in an accident near Tams, West Virginia. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 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 20, 1984 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tams, West Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 204 UH 1B · all 204 UH 1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N91307 · registry record · serial 61-758
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AN OVER GROSS TAKEOFF WAS ATTEMPTED FROM A 500 FT LONG ZONE. TRANSLATIONAL LIFT WAS NOT ACHIEVED AND ROTOR RPM DETERIORATED. THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES, CRASHED & BURNED. THE PLT STATED THAT THE WIND MAY HAVE SHIFTED DURING HIS TAKEOFF.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,200 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,700 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 8,500 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T-53-L11D (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from BKW, 15 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 ATL84LA226.