Bell 47-D1 accident near Monticello, Mississippi, July 29, 1998
On July 29, 1998 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Bell 47-D1 (helicopter), registered N1016A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monticello, Mississippi. 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
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while maneuvering resulting in the main rotor blades striking the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 1998 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Monticello, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47-D1 · all 47-D1s on the register
- Registration
- N1016A · no longer on the register · serial 51-638
- 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 maneuvering during an aerial application, the pilot said that he was attempting to clear some power lines when he reported that the engine lost power and the rotor rpm dropped, resulting in a loss of control. The helicopter struck the ground sideways, and rolled over, causing the main rotor blades to strike the ground. Examination of the wreckage by the FAA revealed that fuel was present. The FAA inspector said, '...when he [pilot] attempted to climb over the powerlines to his left, he seemed have lost power and the aircraft came back down on [the] right side and [the] blade struck the ground and he crashed. According to the FAA inspector's report the pilot lost control of the helicopter, and no discrepancies could be found with the airframe or the engine. The pilot did not return the NTSB Form 6120.1/2. His factual account of the accident are not known.
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: 1,400 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,400 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from MCB, 7 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.