Bell 47 accident near Monette, Arkansas, August 16, 2005
On August 16, 2005 at about 8:16 pm local time, a Bell 47 (helicopter), registered N8494E, was destroyed in an accident near Monette, Arkansas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 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 loss of control as result of a loss of hydraulic pressure for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2005 · about 8:16 pm local time
- Place
- Monette, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47 · all 47s on the register
- Registration
- N8494E · no longer on the register · serial 2716
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 22,000-hour commercial pilot was in a two-foot hover when there was an indication of a hydraulic failure. Control of the helicopter became increasingly difficult and the pilot made an emergency landing. The helicopter landed hard, which resulted in the failure of a landing gear skid, main rotor blade strikes and a post-impact fire. Due to the post-impact fire, the reason for the reported hydraulic failure could not be determined.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 22,000 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 400 in the last 90 days; 157 in the last 30 days; 21,500 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TVO-435-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Craft Flying Service Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: Monette AR at 8:16 pm
- Destination: Monette AR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from JBR
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 N8494E 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.