Texas Helicopter CORP. OH-13E accident near 10 SW Of Milan, Missouri, July 20, 1982
On July 20, 1982 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Texas Helicopter CORP. OH-13E, registered N38117, was substantially damaged in an accident near 10 SW Of Milan, Missouri. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1982 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- 10 SW Of Milan, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Texas Helicopter CORP. OH-13E
- Registration
- N38117 · no longer on the register · serial 78-013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT HAD REDUCED THE SPRAY LOAD FROM 90 TO 50 GALS TO COMPENSATE FOR THE INCREASE IN DENSITY ALTITUDE. THE WINDS WERE BLOWING LIGHTLY DURING PREVIOUS TAKEOFFS BUT WERE CALM DURING THIS TAKEOFF. AS THE HELICOPTER HOVERED FORWARD DURING THE TAKEOFF IT FAILED TO OBTAIN TRANSLATIONAL LIFT & IMPACTED THE GROUND.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,145 hours in all; 226 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 95 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 825 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 215 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Avco Lycoming VO-435A1F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 10 SW Of Milan MO at 5:00 pm
- Destination: 10 SW Of Milan MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 203°F (95°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:00 pm
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.
Other NTSB records under N38117 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.