# Accident 19810504022389A: Bell 47G3B2A, Thompson Falls, MT, May 4, 1981

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 4, 1981, 15:15 local time
- Place: Thompson Falls, MT
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Hovering
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Location: 47.5993° N, 115.3425° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Thompson Falls, MT, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.5993&lon=-115.3425&mi=10
- Aircraft: N14802, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N14802-1982-04-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47G3B2A (registry code 1181025, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g3b2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47G3B2A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 16,000 total, 12,000 in this make and model, 130 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN81FTI06](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN81FTI06) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810504022389A

## Narrative

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

PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO PICK UP MEN ON SIDE OF MOUNTAN. ROTOR BLADE STRUCK SLOPE CAUSING CRASH.

## 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 DEN81FTI06](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN81FTI06), May 4, 1981: Bell 47G-3B (N14802), Thompson Falls, MT, destroyed, 1 fatal

## Other reports on N14802 (1)

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

- [Incident 19780730047509I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780730047509I), Jul 30, 1978: Bell 47G3B2A (N14802), Alberton, MT, Minor damage. Pilot struck power line during search and rescue operation. Resumed flight after temporary repairs.

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.