Bell TH-13T accident near Light, Arkansas, August 21, 2003
On August 21, 2003 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Bell TH-13T (helicopter), registered N38CD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Light, Arkansas. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total failure and seizure of the main rotor transmission while in cruise flight leading to the helicopter’s impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2003 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Light, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell TH-13T · all TH-13Ts on the register
- Registration
- N38CD · registry record · serial 3680
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter sustained substantial damage when it impacted the terrain during a positioning flight. After spraying a field, the pilot landed, refueled, and completed a preflight inspection of the helicopter. The pilot then departed to spray another field. The pilot reported that during the agricultural flight there were no changes in the sound of the transmission or any other part of the helicopter. The helicopter impacted the terrain while in cruise flight and the pilot had no recollection of the accident. The inspection of the helicopter revealed that the transmission failed in-flight. Three worn and deformed lower pinion roller bearings from the lower planetary gear spider assembly were found loose in the transmission. The inner race for that pinion had missing rollers. It was spalled at both the upper row and lower row of its rollers. No spalling was found on the other five inner races from the lower spider assembly and no abnormal wear was found on rollers from the other pinions in the lower spider assembly.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,550 hours in all; 840 in this make and model; 413 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 1,550 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 26, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,005.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 2003; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 A15 HC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fontaine AR at 3:45 pm
- Destination: Delaplaine AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from ARG, 11 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.
Other NTSB records under N38CD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 CHI03FA277.