19790817031319A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell 47G3B1 · Rico, CO · August 17, 1979

Date
August 17, 1979 · 11:05 local
Place
Rico, CO
Phase of flight
Unknown/Not Reported
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N73963
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN79FA055
Reported as
Bell 47G3B1
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
2,421 total65 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 went into right spin. Impacted vertically. Found failed bearing in tail rotor gear.

As the FAA filed it

HELICOPTER WENT INTO RIGHT SPIN. IMPACTED VERTICALLY. FOUND FAILED BEARING IN TAIL ROTOR GEAR.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.