Bell UH-1B accident near Lorida, Florida, July 16, 2002
On July 16, 2002 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Bell UH-1B (helicopter), registered N91281, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lorida, Florida. 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 continued operation with known engine anomalies resulting in loss of engine power due to failure of the engine fuel control pump drive clutch assembly due to wear and collision with the terrain during the resultant descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2002 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lorida, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1B · all UH-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N91281 · no longer on the register · serial 63-8535
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he was making a spray turn at the south end of a grove and when he started to initiate the turn and pull a little power, he heard a noise, not a real loud boom, just a noise. The helicopter yawed a little bit and lost all lift. It just fell straight down. He didn't have time to look at instruments or anything, it just came straight down like a rock. The ground crew for the spray operation stated they had just refueled the helicopter and put chemical in the tank prior to the pilot departing. A short time later they heard the pilot call on the radio that he had crashed. They went searching and found the helicopter and pilot at the south end of the grove. As they approached the helicopter, the main rotor was still turning and the engine was still running. The pilot was still in the cockpit. They attempted to shut down the engine with the cockpit controls but they were jammed. They then went to the engine compartment and shut the engine off with the fuel control lever. The pilot reported to them that he was attempting to come out of a turn and the engine lost power and the helicopter went down. One of the ground crewmembers reported that the pilot stated during the previous servicing stop that the engine was running hot and losing power. Post accident examination of the engine fuel control showed the pump drive clutch assembly was fractured into two pieces. According to the technician performing the disassembly this resulted in disengagement from the N1 flyweight assembly. The N1 flyweight assembly drives the N1 servo system during normal fuel control operation. The N1 servo assembly determines the amount of fuel supplied to the engine based on the speed at which it is driven. With the N1 servo system effectively disengaged from the fuel control, the system would remain in the start position and the amount of fuel supplied would not be enough to sustain normal engine operation. The technician further stated the pump drive clutch, the mating surface on the flyweight assembly and the bearing located below the drive clutch exhibit excessive wear. The failure of the pump drive clutch can be attributed to this wear. This type of wear occurs over an extended period of operation and is not usually caused by one incident or a sudden impact.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,000 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 8, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,025 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 14, 2002; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T53-L-11D (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lorida FL at 1:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from VRB, 40 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.
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.