# Accident 19960919029369A: Bell 47G4A, Belmont, MS, September 19, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 19, 1996, 12:45 local time
- Place: Belmont, MS
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: ZMPG
- Location: 34.4991° N, 88.2010° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4991&lon=-88.2010&mi=10
- Aircraft: N23PH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N23PH-2000-08-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47G-4A (registry code 1181031, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-4a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47G4A
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,550 total, 924 in this make and model, 164 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL96LA129](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL96LA129) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960919029369A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO TREES. (.4)DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATION, THE PILOT WAS MAKING EAST AND WEST SWATH RUNS. HE REPORTED THAT HE HAD DISPENSED ABOUT HALF OF HIS LOAD, WHEN HE NOTED A VIBRATION IN THE TAIL ROTOR PEDALS DURING A TURN-AROUND MANEUVER. HE CONDUCTED THREE MORE SWATH RUNS WITH THE VIBRATION BECOMING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE DURING EACH TURN-AROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, DURING THE FOURTH TURN-AROUND, THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE WAS LOST WHEN THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT AFT UNIVERSAL JOINT FAILED. EXAMINATION OF THE UNIVERSAL JOINT REVEALED A LACK OF LUBRICANT, AND THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS DISCOLORED BLUE. THERE WAS NO LOG BOOK ENTRY TO INDICATE THAT THE UNIVERSAL JOINT HAD BEEN LUBRICATED IN THE 150 PLUS HOURS OF OPERATION SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE PRACTICES INCLUDED LUBRICATION OF THE UNIVERSAL JOINT AFTER EACH 50 HOURS OF OPERATION.

## 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 ATL96LA129](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL96LA129), Sep 19, 1996: Bell 47G-4A (Soloy) (N23PH), Belmont, MS, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of the aft universal joint of the tail rotor drive shaft, due to inadequate lubrication by company maintenance personnel. A factor relating to the accident was the pilot's delay in…

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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