Bell 47G-4A accident near Adel, Georgia, August 11, 1996
On August 11, 1996 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Bell 47G-4A (helicopter), registered N9472G, was destroyed in an accident near Adel, Georgia. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's misjudgment of clearance between the helicopter and the antenna. A factor relating to the accident was the pilot's use of a drug (medication) that had sedative effects.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 1996 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Adel, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-4A · all 47G-4As on the register
- Registration
- N9472G · registry record · serial 7519
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was hovering the helicopter above a radio tower as a worker was attaching a 50 foot line from the helicopter to an antenna on the tower. As the helicopter maneuvered above the tower, it settled, and the main rotor blades collided with the antenna and mounting pole. The main rotor separated from the helicopter, and the helicopter descended uncontrolled until ground impact. The worker's left ankle was broken when the helicopter hit the antenna. The winds were reported to be steady at about 15 mph with no gusts. Toxicology tests of specimens from the pilot showed 0.214 mcg/ml diphenhydramine in blood, 0.597 mcg/ml diphenhydramine in liver fluid, and diphenhydramine was detected in his urine. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine with sedative effects. FAA records showed the helicopter operator held a Title 14 CFR Part 137 Aerial Application Certificate, but there was no record that the operator held a 14 CFR Part 133 External Load Certificate. Also, the logbook showed no record of an FAA Form 337, Major Repair and Alteration, for installation of the external load hook, which reportedly had been installed by the pilot about a week before the accident.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,600 hours in all; 9,500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,900 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 15, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 pm from VLD, 25 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.