Bell 47G-5 accident near Jesup, Iowa, July 10, 2007
On July 10, 2007 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Bell 47G-5 (helicopter), registered N8140J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jesup, Iowa. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain control of the helicopter when it unexpectedly encountered a whirlwind shortly after takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2007 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jesup, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-5 · all 47G-5s on the register
- Registration
- N8140J · registry record · serial 25008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter impacted the ground following a loss of control when it encountered a whirlwind on takeoff. The pilot reported that he stopped spraying because the winds had increased. He stated that he landed and spoke with his ground crew then decided to fly the helicopter back to his home airport. He reported that the local winds were from the west-southwest at 12 mph gusting to 20 mph. He stated that he took off over a cornfield and had just passed through translational lift when he noticed a whirlwind in front of him and slightly to his left. He stated that the next thing he knew he was in the whirlwind. He stated that he felt the helicopter shake then it rolled to the right. The helicopter came to rest upside down in the cornfield.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,387 hours in all; 3,690 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Jesup IA
- Destination: Hudson IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N8140J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.