N72MU – Bell 47G – 2002-05-21 NTSB Accident Report

On May 21, 2002, a Bell 47G (N72MU) was involved in an incident near Marion, AL. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain visual lookout while conducting an aerial application maneuver. A factor was the transmission line.

On May 21, 2002, at 1336 central daylight time, a Bell 47G helicopter, N72MU, registered to Aerial Application Technologies LLC, and operated by the commercial pilot, collided with a power line while conducting an aerial application flight near the edge of a lake in Marion, Alabama. The aerial application flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 137, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The pilot was not injured, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from Marion, Alabama, at 1300, on May 21, 2002.

According to the pilot, while spraying the edge of a lake, he lost visual contact with the nearby power line, and was unable to reacquire visual contact.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ATL02LA102. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N72MU.