# Accident 19780917028729A: Bell 47B3, Castroville, CA, September 17, 1978

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 17, 1978
- Place: Castroville, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Vertical (Helicopter Only)
- Location: 36.7648° N, 121.7534° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Castroville, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7648&lon=-121.7534&mi=10
- Aircraft: N78900, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N78900) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47D1 (registry code 1180802, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47d1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Franklin 6V4 series (registry code 27033, https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-6v4-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47B3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,200 total, 3,000 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB OAK78FVM46](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/OAK78FVM46) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780917028729A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

COLLECTIVE PITCH BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE.MAIN ROTOR SHAFT AND RETAI NUT SCUFFED AND OUT OF ROUND

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB OAK78FVM46](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/OAK78FVM46), Sep 17, 1978: Bell 47D1 (N78900), Castroville, CA, substantial damage

## Other reports on N78900 (3)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20130628013159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130628013159A), Jun 28, 2013: Bell 47D1 (N78900), Lake Ozark, MO, Substantial damage. Pilot stated that during cruise flight at 1500 MSL the engine sputtered. In response he rolled the throttle on and the engine came back on, then seconds later…
- [Accident 19951112036359A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19951112036359A), Nov 12, 1995: Bell 47D1 (N78900), Shafter, CA, Destroyed, 2 fatal. Departed to spray water over trees to rinse system. Crashed and burned. Had unauthorized passenger on board.
- [Accident 19800309005569A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800309005569A), Mar 9, 1980: Bell 47D1 (N78900), Salinas, CA, Substantial damage. Lost cyclic control on swath turn. Made hard landing. Broken horn rotor hub grip possible cause.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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