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19990808011249A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 47G-3B · Selma, AL · August 8, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 8, 1999 · 16:00 local
Place
Selma, AL
Airport
Craig Field Airport
Phase of flight
Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
ZIOG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6712D
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA99LA217
Reported as
Bell 47G3B
Reported engine
Allison T63A700
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
11,000 total500 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N6712DRegistration cancelled Sep 20, 2012 · Bell 47G-3BS/N 2203 · Built 1957Airframe modelBell 47G-3BEngine 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.

1957 Bell 47G-3B helicopter was attempting to land on a trailer, one skid did not get onto the trailer, and the acft flipped over. (.4)after a test flight following maintenance, the pilot/owner was positioning the helicopter onto a trailer, (tail forward) when the right landing skid slipped off and became hooked on the edge of the landing platform. Despite full forward, left cyclic, the rotorcraft continued backward until the main rotor blades collided with the aft part of the truck. The main rotor pitch control rods were removed and shipped to the NTSB materials laboratory for failure analysis, and although the rods were found to possess under specification tensile strength, all damage appeared to be consistent with impact damage. (-23) pilot stated that he was landing on the trailer, but on the first attempt the helicopter was not straight on the trailer so he intiated a hover to realign with the trailer. The pilot said he felt aft movement so he put in abrupt forward stick, however the helicopter continued to slide aft causing the main rotor to strike the pickup truck. The helicopter landed on the skids, breaking the skids and coming to rest flat on it's belly. The transmission and the main rotor were torn off the helicopter and came to rest approx. 10 yards to the left of the helicopter. Cyclic pitch pull assemblies indicated possible stress cracks at broken ends. Pitch assemblies sent to NTSB lab for further evaluation.

As the FAA filed it

1957 BELL 47G-3B HELICOPTER WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON A TRAILER, ONE SKID DID NOT GET ONTO THE TRAILER, AND THE ACFT FLIPPED OVER. (.4)AFTER A TEST FLIGHT FOLLOWING MAINTENANCE, THE PILOT/OWNER WAS POSITIONING THE HELICOPTER ONTO A TRAILER, (TAIL FORWARD) WHEN THE RIGHT LANDING SKID SLIPPED OFF AND BECAME HOOKED ON THE EDGE OF THE LANDING PLATFORM. DESPITE FULL FORWARD, LEFT CYCLIC, THE ROTORCRAFT CONTINUED BACKWARD UNTIL THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES COLLIDED WITH THE AFT PART OF THE TRUCK. THE MAIN ROTOR PITCH CONTROL RODS WERE REMOVED AND SHIPPED TO THE NTSB MATERIALS LABORATORY FOR FAILURE ANALYSIS, AND ALTHOUGH THE RODS WERE FOUND TO POSSESS UNDER SPECIFICATION TENSILE STRENGTH, ALL DAMAGE APPEARED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH IMPACT DAMAGE. (-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS LANDING ON THE TRAILER, BUT ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT STRAIGHT ON THE TRAILER SO HE INTIATED A HOVER TO REALIGN WITH THE TRAILER. THE PILOT SAID HE FELT AFT MOVEMENT SO HE PUT IN ABRUPT FORWARD STICK, HOWEVER THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO SLIDE AFT CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR TO STRIKE THE PICKUP TRUCK. THE HELICOPTER LANDED ON THE SKIDS, BREAKING THE SKIDS AND COMING TO REST FLAT ON IT'S BELLY. THE TRANSMISSION AND THE MAIN ROTOR WERE TORN OFF THE HELICOPTER AND CAME TO REST APPROX. 10 YARDS TO THE LEFT OF THE HELICOPTER. CYCLIC PITCH PULL ASSEMBLIES INDICATED POSSIBLE STRESS CRACKS AT BROKEN ENDS. PITCH ASSEMBLIES SENT TO NTSB LAB FOR FURTHER EVALUATION.

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 MIA99LA217Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSelma, ALThe pilot's failure to maintain the proper touchdown point during landing causing the landing skid to become entangled with the edge of the helipad platform and the resultant rollover and main rotor blade strike of the tow vehicle.Aug 8, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6712D · 2

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

Accident 19790426007769ALow Level Operations · Wenatchee, WAPilot was spraying crops. He allowed rotor speed to decay and hit ground.Apr 26, 1979 · Substantial damageAccident 19760915030949AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Cashmere, WAPinion shaft sheared.Sep 15, 1976 · Substantial damage