33.7359° N, 118.2923° WPlaced by OpenAirDocs: center of San Pedro, CA, within about 6 miles.Open in the map
Date
July 8, 1978 · 16:30 local
Place
San Pedro, CA
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N216N
Reported as
Bell 47G
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,497 total2,547 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter yawed just before touchdown. Pilot closed throttle, struck tail rotor. Severed drive shaft.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER YAWED JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. PILOT CLOSED THROTTLE, STRUCK TAIL ROTOR. SEVERED DRIVE SHAFT.