# Accident 19800323007019A: Bell 47D1, Chico, CA, March 23, 1980

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 23, 1980, 13:50 local time
- Place: Chico, CA
- Airport: Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.7285° N, 121.8375° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Chico, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7285&lon=-121.8375&mi=10
- Aircraft: N12512, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N12512-1998-04-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47D1 (registry code 1180802, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47d1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47D1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,314 total, 70 in this make and model, 126 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX80FVG22](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX80FVG22) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800323007019A

## Narrative

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

HELICOPTER RAN OUT OF FUEL ENROUTE. AUTOROTATED TO A LANDING IN AN ORCHARD.

## 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 LAX80FVG22](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX80FVG22), Mar 23, 1980: Bell 47D1 (N12512), Chico, CA, substantial damage

## Other reports on N12512 (1)

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

- [Accident 19810228006209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810228006209A), Feb 28, 1981: Bell 47D1 (N12512), Chico, CA, Destroyed. Engine quit on base for landing. Made hard autorotation landing. No engine defects. Carb heat inlet clogged.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.