# Accident 19990816012439A: Bell 47G2, Ardmore, OK, August 16, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 16, 1999, 20:00 local time
- Place: Ardmore, OK
- Airport: Ardmore Downtown Executive
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.1906° N, 97.1102° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1906&lon=-97.1102&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1774 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47G2
- Reported engine: LYC VO435A1D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 870 total, 675 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99LA224](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA224) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990816012439A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

1969 BELL-SHELBY AERO 47G2 HELICOPTER WAS HOVERING OUT OF GROUND EFFECT WHEN IT LANDED HARD AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (-23) FROM A HOVER, THE PILOT INITIATED A LEFT CLIMBING TURN TO A NORMAL TAKEOFF. AT 20 TO 25 FEET AND 15 TO 20 KNOTS FORWARD PROGRESS, A BANGING NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE ENGINE SURGED.  THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE, AND THE PILOT RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO CONTROL THE ENGINE RPM.  THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND LEVELED THE BANK OF THE AIRCRAFT.  THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO YAW LEFT.  THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY CUSHION THE LANDING.  THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AFTER THE DUST SETTLED.  THERE WAS NO FIRE!  TIME FRAME FROM BANGING NOISE TO CRASH WAS APPROX TWO SHAKES OF A COW'S TAIL; IT HAPPENED FAST.  WILL TEARDOWN.

## 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 FTW99LA224](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99LA224), Aug 17, 1999: Bell 47G2 (N1774), Ardmore, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm which resulted in a hard landing. A factor was the high density altitude.

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.

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