# Accident 19990808011249A: Bell 47G3B, Selma, AL, August 8, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 8, 1999, 16:00 local time - Place: Selma, AL - Airport: Craig Field Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: ZIOG - Location: 32.4110° N, 87.0306° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.4110&lon=-87.0306&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6712D, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6712D-2012-09-20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell 47G-3B (registry code 1181026, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-3b) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TVO-435-GIA (registry code 41526, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tvo-435-gia) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 47G3B - Reported engine: ALLSN T63A700 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 11,000 total, 500 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA217](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA217) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990808011249A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## 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 MIA99LA217](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA217), Aug 8, 1999: Bell 47G-B3 (N6712D), Selma, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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… ## Other reports on N6712D (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19790426007769A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790426007769A), Apr 26, 1979: Bell 47G3B (N6712D), Wenatchee, WA, Substantial damage. Pilot was spraying crops. He allowed rotor speed to decay and hit ground. - [Accident 19760915030949A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19760915030949A), Sep 15, 1976: Bell 47G3B (N6712D), Cashmere, WA, Substantial damage. Pinion shaft sheared. 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.