Bell 205 accident near Wewahitchka, Florida, April 3, 1998
On April 3, 1998 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Bell 205 (helicopter), registered N508DD, was destroyed in an accident near Wewahitchka, Florida. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). 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 pilot's loss of control as a result of erratic flight control movement due to a surge in 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
- April 3, 1998 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wewahitchka, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 205 · all 205s on the register
- Registration
- N508DD · no longer on the register · serial 67-17678
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was about to start agricultural operations, and had turned on the fertilizer bucket, when he reported that the hydraulic gauges started to 'surge.' He said the helicopter, '...then took a violent turn to the left...the helicopter jerked for a third time and came back level.' He released the fertilizer bucket, and elected to make a forced landing. He stated, '...the control was going left to right, the collective was not reacting properly, so I spooled off the throttle and landed in the trees.' Examination of the helicopter's hydraulic system after the accident revealed that impact damage had destroyed the servos and the hydraulic fluid reservoir. No discrepancies were found with the hydraulic system.
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: 11,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T53-L-13BA (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°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.
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.