Bell 47G-3B-1 accident near Fillmore, Utah, October 29, 1996
On October 29, 1996 at about 10:47 pm local time, a Bell 47G-3B-1 (helicopter), registered N3098G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fillmore, Utah. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadequate procedure and inadequate monitoring by the pilot, the operator, and/or other personnel, which allowed one of three external cables to the seed bucket to become entangled with the right skid of the helicopter, resulting in an imbalance and loss of aircraft control as weight on the cable became effective. Lack of air/ground communication between the pilot and ground crew personnel was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 1996 · about 10:47 pm local time
- Place
- Fillmore, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-3B-1 · all 47G-3B-1s on the register
- Registration
- N3098G · no longer on the register · serial 3378
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter pilot had completed about 20 seeding runs, and had landed at the same landing zone. The landing was describe as the same as the previous landings, in that the bucket touched down on the ground, then the pilot maneuvered the helicopter backwards and touched down with the bucket in front of his position. Witnesses reported that after the 2 ground crew members filled the seed bucket, both moved away to avoid the rotor wash; one went behind a rock, while the other moved near the seed bags and turned his back toward the helicopter. As the helicopter lifted off from the landing zone, one of three 40-foot long lines (attached to the seed bucket) looped over the right skid. The helicopter continued to gain altitude as the seed bucket began to tip and drop seed. Witnesses (about 50 yards downhill from the landing zone) reported that the pilot appeared to be having trouble controlling the helicopter as it gained altitude and moved forward. The helicopter continued into rising terrain and collided with a 45 degree slope in a nose down attitude and slightly to the right side. Inspection of the helicopter after the accident revealed that the pilot had jettisoned the load and the hook had released at the belly of the helicopter before collision with the terrain; however, the line remained entangled around the right skid.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 8,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,473 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 1996; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°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.