Event NYC90DNA02

1990-04-26 MARION, Massachusetts, United States None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

N8591F Bell 47G5 None

Probable cause & findings

IMPROPER USE OF CARBURETOR HEAT BY THE PILOT RESULTING IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING WAS A FACTOR.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS PERFORMING AN 'AG TURN' DURING AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATIONS WHEN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS NOTED. THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED INTO TREES AND BRUSH. THE PILOT STATED THAT 'CARBURETOR ICE WAS SUSPECTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY. CARBURETOR HEAT WAS APPLIED INTERMITTENTLY DURING THE DAY.' ON- SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO INDICATION OF MECHANICAL DIFFICULTY/MALFUNCTION; THERE WAS FUEL ON BOARD THE HELICOPTER, AND NO EVIDENCE OF CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. A POST- ACCIDENT ENGINE RUN WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO INDICATION OF POWER LOSS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_NYC90DNA02.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Beyond the agency record

Search this event elsewhere.

Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.

TallyAero Live Wire Aviation press

Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.

NTSB CAROL Agency ↗

Official agency record + docket.

NTSB Docket Agency ↗

Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.

Aviation Safety Network Aviation press ↗

Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).

Kathryn's Report Aviation press ↗

Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.

Aviation Herald Aviation press ↗

Gold-standard aviation incident blog.