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20031118027949A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 47G-3B-2 · Monmouth, OR · November 18, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 18, 2003 · 14:52 local
Place
Monmouth, OR
Phase of flight
Hovering
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
GJDA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7825S
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA04LA018
Reported as
Bell 47G3B2
Reported engine
Allison 250C20
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
12,855 total11,361 in this make and model226 in the last 90 days
N7825SRegistration cancelled Sep 26, 2016 · Bell 47G-3B-2S/N 6688Airframe modelBell 47G-3B-2

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) On 11/18/03, at 1452 PST, N7825S a BHT-47-G3B2 rotorcraft, was reported by witnesses to have shed a tailrotor blade, while in a hover, dropping a sling load of christmas trees. Witnesses also indicate that after the blade left the aircraft, the helicopter spun around three times and struck the ground. The pilot suffered serious back injuries. After the tailrotor components were gathered, they were inspected for fatigue signs of external damage. No evidence of external strike was noted on the separated blade. The parting surfaces of both halves of the shed blade exhibited some slight discolaration and striation over an area of approximately 1/2"-1" in length. The discolored area was about 2/3 of the chord length, aft of the leading edge. The tailrotor drive system continuity was unbroken. A large ground scar was noted off the nose of the wreckage at a distance equal to the main rotor blade tips. Damage was noted to the skids, fuselage frame, transmission mount structure, cockpit, bubble, and main rotor blades. The aircraft was previously modified by soloy conversions for operation with an allison 250-C20 turbine engine. The ELT has been activated and was still active at the scene. Further investigation is ongoing. (-23 amendment) Bell/ntsb report pitting on inside skin surface from etching to bond at manufacture.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 11/18/03, AT 1452 PST, N7825S A BHT-47-G3B2 ROTORCRAFT, WAS REPORTED BY WITNESSES TO HAVE SHED A TAILROTOR BLADE, WHILE IN A HOVER, DROPPING A SLING LOAD OF CHRISTMAS TREES. WITNESSES ALSO INDICATE THAT AFTER THE BLADE LEFT THE AIRCRAFT, THE HELICOPTER SPUN AROUND THREE TIMES AND STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT SUFFERED SERIOUS BACK INJURIES. AFTER THE TAILROTOR COMPONENTS WERE GATHERED, THEY WERE INSPECTED FOR FATIGUE SIGNS OF EXTERNAL DAMAGE. NO EVIDENCE OF EXTERNAL STRIKE WAS NOTED ON THE SEPARATED BLADE. THE PARTING SURFACES OF BOTH HALVES OF THE SHED BLADE EXHIBITED SOME SLIGHT DISCOLARATION AND STRIATION OVER AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 1/2"-1" IN LENGTH. THE DISCOLORED AREA WAS ABOUT 2/3 OF THE CHORD LENGTH, AFT OF THE LEADING EDGE. THE TAILROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM CONTINUITY WAS UNBROKEN. A LARGE GROUND SCAR WAS NOTED OFF THE NOSE OF THE WRECKAGE AT A DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TIPS. DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE SKIDS, FUSELAGE FRAME, TRANSMISSION MOUNT STRUCTURE, COCKPIT, BUBBLE, AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PREVIOUSLY MODIFIED BY SOLOY CONVERSIONS FOR OPERATION WITH AN ALLISON 250-C20 TURBINE ENGINE. THE ELT HAS BEEN ACTIVATED AND WAS STILL ACTIVE AT THE SCENE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING. (-23 AMENDMENT) BELL/NTSB REPORT PITTING ON INSIDE SKIN SURFACE FROM ETCHING TO BOND AT MANUFACTURE.

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 SEA04LA018Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportMonmouth, ORFatigue failure of a tail rotor blade during hover operations.Nov 18, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7825S · 1

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

Accident 19730803026729ATo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · WAAug 3, 1973 · Substantial damage