What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot was flying over hostile terrain conducting police surveillance on a suspected drug smuggling operation, accompanied by the local sheriff. Hovering above tree tops the pilot heard what he described as a loud bang or thomp, followed by an almost immediate loss of lateral cyclic stick control. The pilot attempted to make a control powered landing but with limited or no cyclic lateral control and, too low for an autorotation the aircraft impacted the ground, hitting with the tail boom first, bending the tail boom upward aft of the engine. The main rotor struck the tail boom cutting, and separating the tail rotor section from it's mount. From thereon the aircraft started tumbling with the main rotor impacting the ground and disintegrating. (.19) on September 7, 2001, about 1030 central daylight time, a Bell 47G, N6327D, collided with terrain four miles northeast of Berry, Alabama, after experiencing a loss of lateral cyclic control. The personal flight was conducted under title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan on file. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The helicopter s ustained substantial damage, and the commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. The local flight departed richard arthur field (M95) in fayette, Alabama, about 0945. Reportedly, while maneuvering above the tree tops at 200-250 feet above ground level, the pilot heard a loud bang and a thump, then noticed cyclic control lateral malfunction. While the pilot attempted to execute an emergency power landing without cyclic lateral control, the helicopter impacted the terrain. Additional circumstances related to the accident are not yet known.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT WAS FLYING OVER HOSTILE TERRAIN CONDUCTING POLICE SURVEILLANCE ON A SUSPECTED DRUG SMUGGLING OPERATION, ACCOMPANIED BY THE LOCAL SHERIFF. HOVERING ABOVE TREE TOPS THE PILOT HEARD WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A LOUD BANG OR THOMP, FOLLOWED BY AN ALMOST IMMEDIATE LOSS OF LATERAL CYCLIC STICK CONTROL. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A CONTROL POWERED LANDING BUT WITH LIMITED OR NO CYCLIC LATERAL CONTROL AND, TOO LOW FOR AN AUTOROTATION THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND, HITTING WITH THE TAIL BOOM FIRST, BENDING THE TAIL BOOM UPWARD AFT OF THE ENGINE. THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM CUTTING, AND SEPARATING THE TAIL ROTOR SECTION FROM IT'S MOUNT. FROM THEREON THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TUMBLING WITH THE MAIN ROTOR IMPACTING THE GROUND AND DISINTEGRATING. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2001, ABOUT 1030 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 47G, N6327D, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN FOUR MILES NORTHEAST OF BERRY, ALABAMA, AFTER EXPERIENCING A LOSS OF LATERAL CYCLIC CONTROL. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE HELICOPTER S USTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED RICHARD ARTHUR FIELD (M95) IN FAYETTE, ALABAMA, ABOUT 0945. REPORTEDLY, WHILE MANEUVERING ABOVE THE TREE TOPS AT 200-250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND A THUMP, THEN NOTICED CYCLIC CONTROL LATERAL MALFUNCTION. WHILE THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXECUTE AN EMERGENCY POWER LANDING WITHOUT CYCLIC LATERAL CONTROL, THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. ADDITIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT ARE NOT YET KNOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6327D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.