19970713018249A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Bell 47G-3B-1 · Crossett, AR · July 13, 1997

Date: July 13, 1997 · 06:00 local
Place: Crossett, AR
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N83701
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW97LA264
Reported as: Bell 47G3B1
Fatal injuries: 0

N83701Registration cancelled Feb 28, 2017 · Bell 47G-3B-1S/N 67-17128 · Built 1967 Airframe modelBell 47G-3B-1 Engine modelLycoming VO-435 seriesReciprocating

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 involved in aerial application, lost tail rotor power and auto rotated to the ground. (-23) on July 13, 1997, at 0600 CDT, a Bell 47G-3B-1 helicopter, N83701, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during a forced emergency landing near Crossett, Arkansas, the airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at night and no flight plan was filed. Tail rotor power was lost. The pilot performed an autorotation to the ground. Inspector at the scene reported that the tail boom was twisted, the skid crossover tubes were broken, and the bottom longerons of the fuselage were bent. The tail rotor drive shaft was found uncoupled from the transmission. The circlip and safety clip were found loose on drive shaft which resulted in the disengagement and separation of the tail rotor drive shaft. Tear down inspection of the transmission and drive shaft will be conducted at campbell helicopter services, Arkansas.

As the FAA filed it

HELICOPTER INVOLVED IN AERIAL APPLICATION, LOST TAIL ROTOR POWER AND AUTO ROTATED TO THE GROUND. (-23) ON JULY 13, 1997, AT 0600 CDT, A BELL 47G-3B-1 HELICOPTER, N83701, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A FORCED EMERGENCY LANDING NEAR CROSSETT, ARKANSAS, THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT NIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. TAIL ROTOR POWER WAS LOST. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION TO THE GROUND. INSPECTOR AT THE SCENE REPORTED THAT THE TAIL BOOM WAS TWISTED, THE SKID CROSSOVER TUBES WERE BROKEN, AND THE BOTTOM LONGERONS OF THE FUSELAGE WERE BENT. THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS FOUND UNCOUPLED FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE CIRCLIP AND SAFETY CLIP WERE FOUND LOOSE ON DRIVE SHAFT WHICH RESULTED IN THE DISENGAGEMENT AND SEPARATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. TEAR DOWN INSPECTION OF THE TRANSMISSION AND DRIVE SHAFT WILL BE CONDUCTED AT CAMPBELL HELICOPTER SERVICES, ARKANSAS.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB FTW97LA264Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCrossett, ARfailure of maintenance personnel to perform an adequate inspection of the fuselage center frame and detect a fatigue fracture of a longeron tube on the upper left side of the center frame, which resulted in a disconnect of the tail rotor drive shaft from the…Jul 13, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N83701 · 2

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

Accident 20000716009729AHolstein, NE(-23) Pilot was spraying with Bell-47 heli. Rapidly moving cold front produced "abnormal winds" as reported by witness. Witness observed heli pitch in a nose down condition of approx. 50 to 60 degrees. Pilot did not have time to react, and heli impacted…Jul 16, 2000 · No damage Incident 19870226011849IPwr Off Run Land (Autorotation · Cut Bank, MTAuto rotation landing after vibrations. Found dynamic balancer had separated main rotor head.Feb 26, 1987 · Minor damage