Bell 47G-2A accident near Los Fresnos, Texas, April 21, 2016
On April 21, 2016 at about 4:12 pm local time, a 1962 Bell 47G-2A (helicopter), registered N64702, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Los Fresnos, Texas. 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 pilot's inability to see and avoid the power lines because of trees obscuring his view.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2016 · about 4:12 pm local time · cases in 2016
- Place
- Los Fresnos, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-2A, built 1962 · all 47G-2As on the register
- Registration
- N64702 · registry record · serial 2706
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the operator, the commercial pilot of the helicopter was performing an aerial application flight when the helicopter struck a set of power lines that ran perpendicular to the field being sprayed. The operator stated that the lines were obscured due to trees.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,605 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 5,284 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,920 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-A2F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Hendrickson Flying Service, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: Weslaco TX
- Destination: Weslaco TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,400 ft; scat at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KMFE, 51 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 23, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Three Dimensional Drawing of A Bell 47G-2A Helicopter | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Report Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N64702 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bell 47 478 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,080 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-A2F 191 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,062 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,979 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN16LA161.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.