Bell-Moore 47G-2A accident near Sivell Bend, Texas, May 8, 1990
On May 8, 1990 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Bell-Moore 47G-2A (helicopter), registered N25126, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sivell Bend, Texas. 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
CLEARANCE WAS NOT MAINTAINED BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 1990 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sivell Bend, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell-Moore 47G-2A
- Registration
- N25126 · registry record · serial H276
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE FLYING OVER THE FIELD TO BE SPRAYED, THE HELICOPTER ENCOUNTERED A GUST OF WIND WHICH RESULTED IN A DESCENT. RECOVERY WAS ATTEMPTED BUT THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT ABLE TO CLIMB BEFORE IT IMPACTED TREES AND THE TERRAIN.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 23,000 hours in all; 12,000 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 130 in the last 30 days; 22,000 as pilot in command; 6,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,760 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 10, 1990; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO435-A1F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°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.
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 FTW90DPA03.