What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Bell 47G-4A helicopter made a hard landing and tipped over on its nose. St. petersburg, FL.(.4) on June 14, 1998, at 1530 hours pacific daylight time, a Bell 47G-4A, N110DT, experienced a hard landing at the Shafter-Minter airport in Shafter, California. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 137 agricultural operation. The pilot reported that he made a normal takeoff to the northwest and climbed to approximately 300 feet AGL. He then made a 180-degree turn back toward the landing area and initiated a "steeper than normal" approach to land. The helicopter began to settle with power, and the pilot reported that he was too low an altitude to recover. The helicopter impacted the ground approximately 500 feet west of the intended landing zone and the main rotor blades severed the tail boom. The pilot reported that he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with the helicopter prior to the accident, but stated that he should have made a shallower approach. The winds were from a direction of 280 degrees at a velocity of 9 knots. The approach was made to an approximate direction of 120 degrees. (.4) the pilot reported that he made a steep downwind approach to the landing pad and the helicopter entered into settling with power (vortex ring state). He reported that he was at too low an altitude to recover and the helicopter impacted the terrain about 500 feet west of the intended landing zone. The main rotor blades severed the tail boom. The pilot reported that he had not experienced any mechanical malfunction with the helicopter prior to the accident, but stated that he should have made a shallower approach.(-23) the BHT-47 agriculture helicopter departed the company's helicopter pad to the northsest and sprayed water out of the aerial application rig to rinse it out. When the BHT-47 reached an altitude of 300 feet AGL, the pilot turned the aircraft 180 degrees to fly back to the company helicopter pad. As the BHT-47 was making a steep approach to the helicopter pad, the aircraft lost lift, due to settling with power, and made an uncontrolled descent to the ground. The helicopter made a hard landing causing the main rotor blade to cut off the aft end of the tail boom, separating the tail rotor from the aircraft. There was no fire. The pilot exited the aircraft safely and had no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
BELL 47G-4A HELICOPTER MADE A HARD LANDING AND TIPPED OVER ON ITS NOSE. ST. PETERSBURG, FL.(.4) ON JUNE 14, 1998, AT 1530 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 47G-4A, N110DT, EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING AT THE SHAFTER-MINTER AIRPORT IN SHAFTER, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 137 AGRICULTURAL OPERATION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE MADE A NORMAL TAKEOFF TO THE NORTHWEST AND CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AGL. HE THEN MADE A 180-DEGREE TURN BACK TOWARD THE LANDING AREA AND INITIATED A "STEEPER THAN NORMAL" APPROACH TO LAND. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SETTLE WITH POWER, AND THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE TO RECOVER. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET WEST OF THE INTENDED LANDING ZONE AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE HELICOPTER PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, BUT STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE MADE A SHALLOWER APPROACH. THE WINDS WERE FROM A DIRECTION OF 280 DEGREES AT A VELOCITY OF 9 KNOTS. THE APPROACH WAS MADE TO AN APPROXIMATE DIRECTION OF 120 DEGREES. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE MADE A STEEP DOWNWIND APPROACH TO THE LANDING PAD AND THE HELICOPTER ENTERED INTO SETTLING WITH POWER (VORTEX RING STATE). HE REPORTED THAT HE WAS AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE TO RECOVER AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE TERRAIN ABOUT 500 FEET WEST OF THE INTENDED LANDING ZONE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE HELICOPTER PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, BUT STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE MADE A SHALLOWER APPROACH.(-23) THE BHT-47 AGRICULTURE HELICOPTER DEPARTED THE COMPANY'S HELICOPTER PAD TO THE NORTHSEST AND SPRAYED WATER OUT OF THE AERIAL APPLICATION RIG TO RINSE IT OUT. WHEN THE BHT-47 REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 300 FEET AGL, THE PILOT TURNED THE AIRCRAFT 180 DEGREES TO FLY BACK TO THE COMPANY HELICOPTER PAD. AS THE BHT-47 WAS MAKING A STEEP APPROACH TO THE HELICOPTER PAD, THE AIRCRAFT LOST LIFT, DUE TO SETTLING WITH POWER, AND MADE AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT TO THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER MADE A HARD LANDING CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO CUT OFF THE AFT END OF THE TAIL BOOM, SEPARATING THE TAIL ROTOR FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY AND HAD NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N110DT · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.