20040805019359A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Bell 47G-3B-1 · Troy City, TX · August 5, 2004

Date: August 5, 2004 · 15:45 local
Place: Troy City, TX
Phase of flight: Sfl Autorotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N47713
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW04CA207
Reported as: Bell 47G3B1
Reported engine: Lycoming TVO435*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,120 total285 in this make and model78 in the last 90 days

N47713Registered now · Bell 47G-3B-1S/N 2954 · Built 1965 Airframe modelBell 47G-3B-1 Engine modelLycoming VO-435 seriesReciprocating

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) At approximately 3:45 p.m., local time, the CFI pilot was demonstrating a straight in auto-rotation maneuver to the student pilot. The pilot reported he initiated the last auto-rotation at 1800 feet MSL. At 600 feet AGL, he reduced pitch attitude in order to regain airspeed to cushion the final portion of the auto-rotation. The pilot further stated, the airspeed was sluggish to recover and never increased as expected. At 50 feet AGL, the pilot stated that he initiated full collective with full power when he lost airspeed. The aircraft hit the surface once then bounced into the air a couple of feet, and on final touch down the main rotor blades struck and severed the tail rotor control. The wreckage came to rest in an open field, and all major components of the helicopter were accounted for at the site, with the exception of the tail rotor control, it was missing. No fatalities or injuries were reported.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45 P.M., LOCAL TIME, THE CFI PILOT WAS DEMONSTRATING A STRAIGHT IN AUTO-ROTATION MANEUVER TO THE STUDENT PILOT. THE PILOT REPORTED HE INITIATED THE LAST AUTO-ROTATION AT 1800 FEET MSL. AT 600 FEET AGL, HE REDUCED PITCH ATTITUDE IN ORDER TO REGAIN AIRSPEED TO CUSHION THE FINAL PORTION OF THE AUTO-ROTATION. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED, THE AIRSPEED WAS SLUGGISH TO RECOVER AND NEVER INCREASED AS EXPECTED. AT 50 FEET AGL, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE INITIATED FULL COLLECTIVE WITH FULL POWER WHEN HE LOST AIRSPEED. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE SURFACE ONCE THEN BOUNCED INTO THE AIR A COUPLE OF FEET, AND ON FINAL TOUCH DOWN THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK AND SEVERED THE TAIL ROTOR CONTROL. THE WRECKAGE CAME TO REST IN AN OPEN FIELD, AND ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE HELICOPTER WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE SITE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TAIL ROTOR CONTROL, IT WAS MISSING. NO FATALITIES OR INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

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 FTW04CA207Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportTroy, TXThe flight instructor's improper flare, resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the high density altitude.Aug 5, 2004 · Substantial damage