# Accident 19970713018249A: Bell 47G3B1, Crossett, AR, July 13, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 13, 1997, 06:00 local time
- Place: Crossett, AR
- Damage: Minor damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.1196° N, 91.9596° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1196&lon=-91.9596&mi=10
- Aircraft: N83701, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N83701-2017-02-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47G-3B-1 (registry code 1181028, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-3b-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming VO-435 series (registry code 41525, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-vo-435-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47G3B1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA264](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA264) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970713018249A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 FTW97LA264](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA264), Jul 13, 1997: Bell 47G-3B-1 (N83701), Crossett, AR, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure 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…

## Other reports on N83701 (2)

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

- [Accident 20000716009729A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000716009729A), Jul 16, 2000: Bell 47G3B1 (N83701), Holstein, NE, No damage. (-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…
- [Incident 19870226011849I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870226011849I), Feb 26, 1987: Bell 47G3B1 (N83701), Cut Bank, MT, Minor damage. Auto rotation landing after vibrations. Found dynamic balancer had separated main rotor head.

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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