# Accident 19980311003149A: Bell 47D1, Jeanerette, LA, March 11, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 11, 1998, 16:00 local time
- Place: Jeanerette, LA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.9109° N, 91.6707° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.9109&lon=-91.6707&mi=10
- Aircraft: N13012, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N13012-2018-02-08) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47D1 (registry code 1180802, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47d1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Franklin 6V4 series (registry code 27033, https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-6v4-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47D1
- Reported engine: LYC VO435A1B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,753 total, 335 in this make and model, 176 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA144](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA144) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980311003149A

## Narrative

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

HELI WAS PRACTICING APPROACHES WHEN IT STARTED TO VIBRATE VERTICALLY AND LATERALLY, LANDED HARD. JEANERETTE, LA (-23) ON MARCH 12, 1998, IT WAS REPORTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN ACCIDENT WHICH INVOLVED A BELL 47-D1 AIRCRAFT. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, IT WAS STATED BY THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT THAT DURING FLIGHT TRAINING AT AN ALTITUDE OF 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATIONS, (LATERAL AND VERTICAL). THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, LOWERED COLLECTIVE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN HIT THE GROUND SIDEWAYS AT 20 DEGREES RIGHT AND ROLLED SEVERAL TIMES. HE HAD TRIED TO FLARE AT APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET BUT COULD NOT CONTROL CYCLIC STICK. I ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AT 4:00 PM, MARCH 12, 1998, TO FIND THE HELICOPTER LYING ON IT'S LEFT SIDE IN A SUGAR CANE FIELD. THE TAILBOOM WAS TORN OFF AND LYING WITHIN 3 FEET OF THE FUSELAGE. ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE WAS 200 FEET FROM THE WRECKAGE. THERE WAS ONLY ONE DRIVE LINK ON THE AIRCRAFT SWASHPLATE; THE OTHER WAS NEVER FOUND.                                                                                                                                                                                                (.4)THE DUAL STUDENT PILOT WAS PRACTICING LANDINGS IN THE LOCAL PRACTICE AREA, AND HAD COMPLETED 4 TO 5 LANDINGS. ON THE NEXT LANDING, THEY WERE HEADING WEST, LEVEL AT 350 FEET AGL, WITH AN AIRSPEED OF 35 MPH.  AS THE STUDENT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO INITIATE A STEEP APPROACH, A SEVERE VERTICAL VIBRATION WAS ENCOUNTERED.  ABOUT 2 TO 3 SECONDS LATER, A SEVERE LATERAL VIBRATION BEGAN.  THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS AND CONTINUED THE DESCENT TOWARDS THE LANDING AREA.  AT ABOUT 10 FEET THE INSTRUCTOR TRIED TO REDUCE FORWARD AIRSPEED AND DESCENT RATE BY MOVING THE CYCLIC AFT AND RAISING THE COLLECTIVE.  'NEITHER OF THOSE INPUTS SEEMED TO HELP A LOT AND WE IMPACTED HARD.'  THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER TO THE LEFT BEFORE COMING TO REST HEADING TO THE EAST.  THERE WERE NO REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH TAIL ROTOR CONTROL. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE SCISSOR HINGE BOLT WHICH ATTACHES THE SCISSOR TO THE SWASH PLATE WAS MISSING. HE ADDED THAT ACCORDING TO THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS, THE 5, 258 HELICOPTER, UNDERWENT A 100 HOUR INSPECTION ON FEBRUARY 15, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 20 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

## 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 FTW98LA144](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA144), Mar 11, 1998: Bell 47D1 (N13012), Jeanerette, LA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The in-flight disconnect of the rotating scissors due to the separation of its hinge bolt.

## Other reports on N13012 (2)

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

- [Accident 19840505017089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19840505017089A), May 5, 1984: Bell 47D1 (N13012), Ridge Farm, IL, Substantial damage. Lost engine and rotor RPM after takeoff. Made a hard autorotation landing and rolled over. No engine defects found.
- [Accident 19740706017979A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19740706017979A), Jul 6, 1974: Bell 47D1 (N13012), Almyra, AR, Substantial damage. Spray pmp injestd stone whch causd eng accssry drv gr to shear

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.