On August 11, 1997, a Bell 47-D1 (registration N908B) was involved in an aviation accident near Holcomb, MS. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the pilot to adequately see and avoid all obstructions while doing aerial application work. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A helicopter struck a utility line hidden by trees after circling to locate obstructions, causing the line to wrap around the mast and resulting in a hard landing.
Accident Overview
A helicopter conducting aerial insecticide application struck a utility line during a spraying operation over a cotton field. The pilot reported that the field was lined with utility lines and that he circled the area multiple times to identify obstructions before beginning the spray pass.
Incident Details
After completing approximately half of the field, the helicopter collided with a utility line that was obscured by surrounding trees. Upon impact, the nose of the helicopter pitched upward, and the utility line became entangled around the helicopter's mast. The entanglement caused the helicopter to rotate 150 to 160 degrees to the left before it descended to the ground.
Outcome
The helicopter settled to the ground in what the pilot described as a "hard landing." No injuries were reported in the source, and the extent of damage to the helicopter was not specified. The incident highlights the challenges of low-level agricultural operations near obstacles.