Southwest Florida Aviation SW204 accident near Indiantown, Florida, March 31, 1998
On March 31, 1998 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Southwest Florida Aviation SW204 (helicopter), registered N106CP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Indiantown, Florida. 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
A loss of engine power due to turbine blade failure caused by operating the engine in an over temperature and over speed condition. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to observe the helicopter's maximum gross lift-off weight limit resulting in exceeding the helicopter's lift-off performance capabilities.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 1998 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Indiantown, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Southwest Florida Aviation SW204
- Registration
- N106CP · registry record · serial 1170
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On liftoff from the trailer-mounted helipad, the agricultural spray helicopter experienced engine surging, followed shortly by a complete engine failure, resulting in collision with the bank of an irrigation canal. Subsequent teardown examination of the turbine engine revealed initial failure to be high temperature tensile overload failure, (a combination of temperature and rotational speed) of one or more of the power turbine blades. The lift-off weight of the helicopter was about 169 pounds over the certificated maximum lift-off gross weight.
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; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 6,900 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,024 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 27, 1998; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T-53-11D (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,900 ft; scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:30 pm from SUA, 17 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.