# Accident 20011201034399A: Bell 47G, Ardmore, OK, December 1, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 1, 2001, 10:30 local time - Place: Ardmore, OK - Airport: Ardmore Downtown Executive - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: HFZS - Location: 34.1461° N, 97.1225° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1461&lon=-97.1225&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5226, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5226-2014-10-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell 47D1 (registry code 1180802, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47d1) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Franklin 6V4 series (registry code 27033, https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-6v4-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL 47G - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 450 total, 300 in this make and model, 75 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW02LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA044) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20011201034399A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON DECEMBER 1, 2001, AT 1030 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BELL 47D1 HELICOPTER, N5226, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A PRACTICE AUTOROTATIONAL LANDING AT THE ARDMORE DOWNTOWN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT NEAR ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY VERSATILE HELICOPTERS, INC., DBA VERSATILE AVIATION OF ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE PRIVATE PILOT RATED STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE ARDMORE DOWNTOWN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION TO THE SOUTH. AS THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN ON THE SOFT GRASSY AREA BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY, THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO NOSE OVER. THE INSTRUCTOR "OVER CORRECTED" WITH AFT CYCLIC, AND THE HELICOPTER ROCKED BACKWARD COLLAPSING THE SKID LANDING GEAR AND SEPARATING THE TAILBOOM FROM THE FUSELAGE. (-23) DURING A PRACTICED AUTO-ROTATION DURING TOUCH DOWN TO THE SOUTH, THE SKIDS DUG INTO THE SOFT SURFACE. IN AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT THE HELICOPTER FROM ROLLING OVER FORWARD THE PILOT OVER CORRECTED AND THE ROTOR BLADES HIT THE TAIL BOOM AND SHEARED THE TAIL BOOM OFF. THERE WAS NO INJURIES TO THE 2 PEOPLE ON BOARD AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE TAIL SECTION DAMAGE, THE SKIDS WERE BENT AND BROKEN, THE ACCESSORY SECTION WAS BROKEN ON THE ENGINE, AND THE ROTOR BLADES WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED. (.4) ON DECEMBER 1, 2001, AT 1030 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BELL 47G HELICOPTER, N5226, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A PRACTICE AUTOROTATIONAL LANDING AT THE ARDMORE DOWNTOWN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT NEAR ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY VERSATILE HELICOPTERS, INC., DBA VERSATILE AVIATION OF ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE PRIVATE PILOT RATED STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE ARDMORE DOWNTOWN EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD COMPLETED THREE POWER RECOVERY AUTOROTATIONS TO THE SOUTH, AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS TO DEMONSTRATE "A FULL TOUCHDOWN AUTOROTATION" TO END THE TRAINING SESSION. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INITIATED THE AUTOROTATION AT 1,500 FEET MSL AND 60 KNOTS TO THE MID-FIELD MEDIAN. AFTER SLOWING TO 40 KNOTS, THE INSTRUCTOR BEGAN A FLARE TO REDUCE THE AIRSPEED TO 15-20 KNOTS. AT 10 FEET AGL, HE PULLED COLLECTIVE TO CUSHION THE LANDING. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN ON THE SOFT GRASSY AREA AND SLID FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET BEFORE STARTING TO NOSE OVER. "THE TAIL OF THE HELICOPTER PITCHED UPWARD INTO THE BLADES, SEVERING IT." THE HELICOPTER ROTATED LEFT APPROXIMATELY 270 DEGREES BEFORE COMING TO REST UPRIGHT. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT "WEATHER HAD SATURATED THE GROUND AND CAUSED THE SOD TO BE SOFT ON THE USUAL LANDING AREA. IT WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE HELICOPTER." ## 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 FTW02LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA044), Dec 1, 2001: Bell 47G (N5226), Ardmore, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: the flight instructor's selection of an unsuitable area for practicing a full touchdown autorotation, which resulted in a nose over. A contributing factor was the soft ground. ## Other reports on N5226 (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19960426008929A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960426008929A), Apr 26, 1996: Bell 47D1 (N5226), Ardmore, OK, Substantial damage. Familiarzation flight student landed short in tall grass. Tried takeoff with skid in soft earth. Rolled on side. (-23) during a familiarization flight in the… - [Accident 19841207076719A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19841207076719A), Dec 7, 1984: Bell 47D1 (N5226), Ardmore, OK, Substantial damage. During power recovery by CFI aircraft struck 3 power lines. Impacted ground in right nose down attitude. - [Accident 19751207038429A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19751207038429A), Dec 7, 1975: Bell 47D1 (N5226), Irving, TX, Substantial damage. Practice autorotation. - [Accident 19740728023759A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19740728023759A), Jul 28, 1974: Bell 47D1 (N5226), Seal Beach, CA, Substantial damage. M/r blades flexed into tail boom. 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.