20011019030669A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Bell 47G2 · Jeffersonville, IN · October 19, 2001

Date: October 19, 2001 · 16:30 local
Place: Jeffersonville, IN
Airport: Clark County Airport
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N840WA
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI02LA008
Reported as: Bell 47G2

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.

(-23) The helicopter was hovering east of runway 14-32. The student had turned the helicopter and placed the tail into the wind. The student abruptly raised the nose of helicopter to correct for the tail wind and the tail rotor struck the ground. The helicopter started to vibrate, yaw to the right, and then turn to the left. The main left skid struck the ground and then main rotor blade struck the ground. The helicopter rolled on to the left side and stopped. The engine caught on fire. The instructor shut down the engine and both pilots left the helicopter through a hole in the plexiglas bubble.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE HELICOPTER WAS HOVERING EAST OF RUNWAY 14-32. THE STUDENT HAD TURNED THE HELICOPTER AND PLACED THE TAIL INTO THE WIND. THE STUDENT ABRUPTLY RAISED THE NOSE OF HELICOPTER TO CORRECT FOR THE TAIL WIND AND THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO VIBRATE, YAW TO THE RIGHT, AND THEN TURN TO THE LEFT. THE MAIN LEFT SKID STRUCK THE GROUND AND THEN MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ON TO THE LEFT SIDE AND STOPPED. THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE INSTRUCTOR SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND BOTH PILOTS LEFT THE HELICOPTER THROUGH A HOLE IN THE PLEXIGLAS BUBBLE.

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 CHI02LA008Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportJeffersonville, INThe dual student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter, his failure to maintain altitude/clearance from the terrain, and the inadequate supervision by the flight instructor. A factor was the gusty wind condition.Oct 19, 2001 · Substantial damage