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19970812021809A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 47G2 · Mojave, CA · August 12, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 12, 1997 · 10:00 local
Place
Mojave, CA
Airport
Mojave
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9021R
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX97LA285
Reported as
Bell 47G2
Reported engine
Lycoming VO435A1F
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,273 total101 in this make and model88 in the last 90 days
N9021RRegistered now · Bell-Continental Copters 47G2S/N CCI-165Airframe modelBell-Continental Copters 47G2Engine modelLycoming VO-435-A1FReciprocating

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.

On August 12, 1997, at 1000 pacific daylight time, a Bell 47G2, N9021R, la ned hard on runway 4 at the Mojave, California airport. The local area instructional flight was operated by national test pilot school of Mojave. Visaul meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, including calm winds, and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor and dual student onboard were not injured. The flight originated at Mojave about 0930 on the day of the accident. In his written report, the flight instructor reported that the dual student had a fixed wing pilot certificate issued by a foreign country, but no prior rotorcraft flight experience. The instuctor reported that during their pattern work, he was "guarding the flight controls while the left seat pilot was flying" he further reported that on the third pattern the student then raised the collective control slightly without adding additional throttle. As the instructor reached for teh throttle, the student quickly raised the collective without any other action. The aircraft yawed to the right, and the rotor RPM decreased even further. The student the applied a rearward cyclic input in an attempt to flare the aircraft. The tail rotor the struck the ground, destorying the tail rotor and shearing the tail rotor driveshaft. The aircraft touched down in a right turn and the skids collapsed. The instuctor reported that during the accident sequence he was attempting to regain aircraft control while calling for the student to release the controls.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 12, 1997, AT 1000 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 47G2, N9021R, LA NED HARD ON RUNWAY 4 AT THE MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA AIRPORT. THE LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY NATIONAL TEST PILOT SCHOOL OF MOJAVE. VISAUL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, INCLUDING CALM WINDS, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND DUAL STUDENT ONBOARD WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT MOJAVE ABOUT 0930 ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. IN HIS WRITTEN REPORT, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT THE DUAL STUDENT HAD A FIXED WING PILOT CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY A FOREIGN COUNTRY, BUT NO PRIOR ROTORCRAFT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE. THE INSTUCTOR REPORTED THAT DURING THEIR PATTERN WORK, HE WAS "GUARDING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WHILE THE LEFT SEAT PILOT WAS FLYING" HE FURTHER REPORTED THAT ON THE THIRD PATTERN THE STUDENT THEN RAISED THE COLLECTIVE CONTROL SLIGHTLY WITHOUT ADDING ADDITIONAL THROTTLE. AS THE INSTRUCTOR REACHED FOR TEH THROTTLE, THE STUDENT QUICKLY RAISED THE COLLECTIVE WITHOUT ANY OTHER ACTION. THE AIRCRAFT YAWED TO THE RIGHT, AND THE ROTOR RPM DECREASED EVEN FURTHER. THE STUDENT THE APPLIED A REARWARD CYCLIC INPUT IN AN ATTEMPT TO FLARE THE AIRCRAFT. THE TAIL ROTOR THE STRUCK THE GROUND, DESTORYING THE TAIL ROTOR AND SHEARING THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A RIGHT TURN AND THE SKIDS COLLAPSED. THE INSTUCTOR REPORTED THAT DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL WHILE CALLING FOR THE STUDENT TO RELEASE THE CONTROLS.

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 LAX97LA285Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMojave, CAThe student's improper use of the throttle and collective controls and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.Aug 12, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9021R · 3

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

Accident 20120101000549AHover/Holding · Lohn, TXPilot stated he did a pre flight inspection per the operator's manual, loaded his passenger for the purpose of pasture count of deer on hunting leases. On the fourth pass on the pasture counts flying slow and low went to make a turn and lost tail authority,…Jan 1, 2012 · Substantial damageAccident 19981211033299AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Helendale, CA(.19)On December 11, 1998, at 1645 hours pacific standard time, a Bell 47G2, N9021R, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Helendale, California, following the onset of an airframe vibration. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not…Dec 11, 1998 · Substantial damageIncident 19830206007729IHovering · Corona, CAPilot had yaw problems during hovering. Found tail rotor drive shaft failed.Feb 6, 1983 · Minor damage