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19980917024909A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 47G2 · Ardmore, OK · September 17, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 17, 1998 · 09:15 local
Place
Ardmore, OK
Airport
Ardmore Downtown Executive
Phase of flight
Hovering
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1575
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98LA400
Reported as
Bell 47G2
Reported engine
Lycoming VO435A1F
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
41 total12 in this make and model
N1575Registration cancelled Feb 8, 2018 · Bell 47B3S/N 57Airframe modelBell 47B3Engine modelLycoming TVO-435-GIATurbo-prop

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.

(.4) On September 17, 1998, at 0915 central daylight time, a Bell 47-G-2 helicopter, N1575, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while hovering at the Ardmore Downtown Executive Airport near Ardmore, Oklahoma. The solo student pilot was not injured. The helicopter was owned and operated by versatile helicopters inc., of Ardmore, Oklahoma. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the title 14 CFR part 91 local training flight which originated at 0825. During an interview conducted by the FAA inspector, the operator of the helicopter said that during a takeoff to hover, the heals of the skids "sunk into the sod and brought the aircraft back, striking the tail rotor blades on the ground." The operator added that "one of the tail rotor blades departed the hub." The pilot stated that after the tail rotor hit, the helicopter "raised off the ground and started spinning to the right." The student pilot added that he, "attempted to level the helicopter by lowering the collective to bring the helicopter to the ground." The helicopter "hit the ground with the left skid and rolled over on to its left side." Winds at the time of the accident were reported to be calm. Examination of the aircraft by the FAA inspector revealed that the tailboom was destroyed, the cabin sustained structural damage and both main rotor blades were damaged. The student pilot had accumulated approximately 41 hours in the helicopter and was on his seventh solo flight at the time of the accident. (-23) the student pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings from or to a hover. The skids sank in the mud and the aft portion stuck. The student did not have sufficient experience to recover. The tail struck the ground, the aircraft spun, hit the ground and rolled.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) ON SEPTEMBER 17, 1998, AT 0915 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 47-G-2 HELICOPTER, N1575, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE HOVERING AT THE ARDMORE DOWNTOWN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT NEAR ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA. THE SOLO STUDENT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY VERSATILE HELICOPTERS INC., OF ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED AT 0825. DURING AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY THE FAA INSPECTOR, THE OPERATOR OF THE HELICOPTER SAID THAT DURING A TAKEOFF TO HOVER, THE HEALS OF THE SKIDS "SUNK INTO THE SOD AND BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT BACK, STRIKING THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES ON THE GROUND." THE OPERATOR ADDED THAT "ONE OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES DEPARTED THE HUB." THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE TAIL ROTOR HIT, THE HELICOPTER "RAISED OFF THE GROUND AND STARTED SPINNING TO THE RIGHT." THE STUDENT PILOT ADDED THAT HE, "ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL THE HELICOPTER BY LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE TO BRING THE HELICOPTER TO THE GROUND." THE HELICOPTER "HIT THE GROUND WITH THE LEFT SKID AND ROLLED OVER ON TO ITS LEFT SIDE." WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED TO BE CALM. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE TAILBOOM WAS DESTROYED, THE CABIN SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED APPROXIMATELY 41 HOURS IN THE HELICOPTER AND WAS ON HIS SEVENTH SOLO FLIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23) THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS FROM OR TO A HOVER. THE SKIDS SANK IN THE MUD AND THE AFT PORTION STUCK. THE STUDENT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT EXPERIENCE TO RECOVER. THE TAIL STRUCK THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT SPUN, HIT THE GROUND AND ROLLED.

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 FTW98LA400Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportArdmore, OKThe pilots failure to maintain clearance with terrain and the ensuing loss of control.Sep 17, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N1575 · 3

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

Accident 20060113000989ANormal Cruise · Denison, TX(-23) Inspector [privacy data omitted] and I responded to an accident involving N1575, a Bell 47 helicopter in Denison Texas. We arrived to the scene at approximately 1600 local. N1575 was sitting upright on the Denison high school football field. The tail…Jan 13, 2006 · Substantial damageAccident 20010321004619AAutorot Descent (Rotorcraft) · Ardmore, OK(-23) Tail rotor drive failure. Failure of the shaft assemby, p/n 47-644-180-9, fig 46-1 and coupling p/n 47-644-130-13, fig 46-4, due to loss of lubrication. Lubrication loss from stripped threads on screw AN501A10-4, fig 46-5. (.19) on March 21, 2001,…Mar 21, 2001 · Substantial damageAccident 19770918032919ATo Running(Helicopter/Vtol Ac) · Lake Orion, MISep 18, 1977 · Substantial damage