19980717027069A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 47G3B1 · Olathe, CO · July 17, 1998

Date: July 17, 1998
Place: Olathe, CO
Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N92HA
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW98LA315
Reported as: Bell 47G3B1
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

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.

(-23)Despending rinse load asjacent to runway. Made 3 consecutive passes over same path. Wind came up 7-8 mph, turned into preceding passes wake. Started to settle,insufficient power to overcome decent. Impacted ground with low forward speed, aircraft tipped forward causing tail boom to kick up into main rotor. Tail boom severed loss of direction and control, 90 right turn as gear collapsed . Aircraft came to rest on belly. Engine shut down, rotor stopped.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)DESPENDING RINSE LOAD ASJACENT TO RUNWAY. MADE 3 CONSECUTIVE PASSES OVER SAME PATH. WIND CAME UP 7-8 MPH, TURNED INTO PRECEDING PASSES WAKE. STARTED TO SETTLE,INSUFFICIENT POWER TO OVERCOME DECENT. IMPACTED GROUND WITH LOW FORWARD SPEED, AIRCRAFT TIPPED FORWARD CAUSING TAIL BOOM TO KICK UP INTO MAIN ROTOR. TAIL BOOM SEVERED LOSS OF DIRECTION AND CONTROL, 90 RIGHT TURN AS GEAR COLLAPSED . AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON BELLY. ENGINE SHUT DOWN, ROTOR STOPPED.

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 FTW98LA315Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportOlathe, COThe pilot's inadequate in-flight planning which resulted in an encounter with his own wake turbulence. Related factors were high density altitude and wake turbulence.Jul 17, 1998 · Substantial damage