Bell 47G3B1 accident near Livingston, Alabama, June 20, 1995
On June 20, 1995 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Bell 47G3B1 (helicopter), registered N101VB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Livingston, Alabama. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1995 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Livingston, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G3B1 · all 47G3B1s on the register
- Registration
- N101VB · registry record · serial 3549
- 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 PILOT STATED THAT WHILE RETURNING TO RELOAD THE AIRCRAFT WITH CHEMICALS, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE LOST POWER. HE ATTEMPTED AN AUTOROTATION INTO A FIELD, BUT THE THICK VEGETATION PREVENTED HIM FROM OBSERVING THE GROUND, AND THE HELICOPTER FELL ABOUT 20 FEET PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE TERRAIN. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PROBLEMS WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ENGINE FROM OPERATING.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 14,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,714 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 2, 1995; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540-B1B3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from MEI, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ATL95LA115.