# Incident 19990817012379I: Bell 47G4A, Sparta, TN, August 17, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 17, 1999, 09:30 local time
- Place: Sparta, TN
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Other Ground Ops
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Location: 35.9347° N, 85.4726° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Sparta, TN, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9347&lon=-85.4726&mi=10
- Aircraft: N62446, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N62446-2003-01-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 47G-4A (registry code 1181031, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g-4a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming VO-540 series (registry code 41534, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-vo-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 47G4A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 17,000 total, 10,000 in this make and model
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990817012379I

## Narrative

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

1967 BELL 47G-4A HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING FOR UNKNOWN REASONS SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF, AFTER EXITING THE ACFT THE PILOT WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY THE MAIN ROTOR, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23) AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM ATOP A FUELING TRUCK, (APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET HIGH), WIND WAS LIGHT AND VARIABLE. APPARENTLY TAIL WIND OCCURRED UPON TAKEOFF, PILOT IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO DUMP 80 GALLONS OF HERBICIDE AND LANDED APPROXIMATELY 30 YARDS FROM TRUCK. TAILROTOR STRUCK STUMP IN FIELD. PILOT SHUT DOWN AIRCRAFT AND WALKED TO TAIL SECTION, PICKED UP ON THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, SO ROTOR WOULD NOT CONTINUE STRIKING STUMP, TOOK TWO STEPS AWAY FROM AIRCRAFT MAIN ROTOR HIT HIM TWICE IN BACK OF HEAD. NOTE: CALCULATED WEIGHT AND BALANCE, CALCULATED DENSITY ALTITUDE, APPEARS TO BE 25 TO 75 MIN. LBS OVER GROSS.

## Other reports on N62446 (2)

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

- [Accident 20020623015009A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020623015009A), Jun 23, 2002: Bell 47G4A (N62446), Grandlake, LA, No damage. (-23) During take off from an unimproved landing area a passenger blocked the cyclic control resulting in the right skid contacting the ground. The aircraft…
- [Accident 19811102071589A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19811102071589A), Nov 2, 1981: Bell 47G4A (N62446), Telegraph, TX, Substantial damage. Helicopter entered prestall vibration during low altitude hover. Lost control. Impact cut tail boom broke skids.

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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