# Accident 19790517010769A: Bell 47J2A, Westfield, IN, May 17, 1979

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 17, 1979, 07:45 local time
- Place: Westfield, IN
- Airport: Westfield
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.0489° N, 86.1578° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WESTFIELD (I72), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0489&lon=-86.1578&mi=10
- Aircraft: N51711, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N51711-2013-06-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47J-2 (registry code 1181104, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47j-2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming VO-540 series (registry code 41534, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-vo-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47J2A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 14,150 total, 204 in this make and model, 36 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI79FEX25](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI79FEX25) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790517010769A

## Narrative

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

MADE A HARD AUTOROTATIVE LANDING AFTER FAILURE OF TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT COUPLING. INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE.

## 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 CHI79FEX25](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI79FEX25), May 17, 1979: Bell 47J2 (N51711), Westfield, IN, substantial damage

## Other reports on N51711 (1)

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

- [Accident 19880625023779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880625023779A), Jun 25, 1988: Bell 47J2 (N51711), Newburyport, MA, Destroyed. Report indicates helicopter ran out of fuel on climbout. Autorotated into ocean waters. No defects found.

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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