# Accident 19810228006209A: Bell 47D1, Chico, CA, February 28, 1981

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 28, 1981, 12:30 local time
- Place: Chico, CA
- Airport: Ranchaero
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.7195° N, 121.8705° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at RANCHAERO (CL56), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7195&lon=-121.8705&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
- Reported engine: FRNKLN O335*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 12,245 total, 500 in this make and model, 19 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX81FVG21](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX81FVG21) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810228006209A

## Narrative

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

ENGINE QUIT ON BASE FOR LANDING. MADE HARD AUTOROTATION LANDING. NO ENGINE DEFECTS. CARB HEAT INLET CLOGGED.

## 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 LAX81FVG21](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX81FVG21), Feb 28, 1981: Bell 47D1 (N12512), Chico, CA, destroyed

## Other reports on N12512 (1)

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

- [Accident 19800323007019A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800323007019A), Mar 23, 1980: Bell 47D1 (N12512), Chico, CA, Substantial damage. Helicopter ran out of fuel enroute. Autorotated to a landing in an orchard.

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.
