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20041031028379A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 47D1 · San Martin, CA · October 31, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 31, 2004 · 09:30 local
Place
San Martin, CA
Phase of flight
Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N903B
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX05LA022
Reported as
Bell 47D1
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,500 total75 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N903BRegistered now · Bell 47D1S/N 847 · Built 1954Airframe modelBell 47D1Engine modelFranklin 6V4 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 0915 hours on October 31, 2004, CFI randy sharp and owner/student pilot robert seuss departed rhv (san jose) for 3O7 (hollister) with one fuel stop planned at E16 (south county airport) in a Bell 47-D1 helicopter. As the E16 airfield landing area came into sight, the student pilot/owner initiated a power reduction and descent from 900 ft to enter a left base for a landing under the nw corner of the airfield. During the right turn and descent the engine coughed and then quit operating. The student pilot/owner immediately entered autorotation and started a turn to the nw to enter into the wind for a forced landing. Due to the proximity of the ground < 500 ft AGL, there was no time to initiate a restart of the engine. The aircraft landed in a farmers field, but due to the uneven rows of crops and the muddy field the right skid dug into a mound and the aircraft tilted on its right side causing the main rotor rotation stoppage and subsequent damage to the engine. Neither the CFI nor student pilot/owner sustained injuries. Please see attachments: (1) randy sharp narrative; (2) robert suess narrative; (3) santa clara county sheriff case report 04-305-0119G.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 0915 HOURS ON OCTOBER 31, 2004, CFI RANDY SHARP AND OWNER/STUDENT PILOT ROBERT SEUSS DEPARTED RHV (SAN JOSE) FOR 3O7 (HOLLISTER) WITH ONE FUEL STOP PLANNED AT E16 (SOUTH COUNTY AIRPORT) IN A BELL 47-D1 HELICOPTER. AS THE E16 AIRFIELD LANDING AREA CAME INTO SIGHT, THE STUDENT PILOT/OWNER INITIATED A POWER REDUCTION AND DESCENT FROM 900 FT TO ENTER A LEFT BASE FOR A LANDING UNDER THE NW CORNER OF THE AIRFIELD. DURING THE RIGHT TURN AND DESCENT THE ENGINE COUGHED AND THEN QUIT OPERATING. THE STUDENT PILOT/OWNER IMMEDIATELY ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND STARTED A TURN TO THE NW TO ENTER INTO THE WIND FOR A FORCED LANDING. DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE GROUND < 500 FT AGL, THERE WAS NO TIME TO INITIATE A RESTART OF THE ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN A FARMERS FIELD, BUT DUE TO THE UNEVEN ROWS OF CROPS AND THE MUDDY FIELD THE RIGHT SKID DUG INTO A MOUND AND THE AIRCRAFT TILTED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR ROTATION STOPPAGE AND SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. NEITHER THE CFI NOR STUDENT PILOT/OWNER SUSTAINED INJURIES. PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENTS: (1) RANDY SHARP NARRATIVE; (2) ROBERT SUESS NARRATIVE; (3) SANTA CLARA COUNTY SHERIFF CASE REPORT 04-305-0119G.

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 LAX05LA022Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSan Martin, CAA loss of power for undetermined reasons.Oct 31, 2004 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N903B · 1

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

Accident 19880703025389APwr Off Run Land (Autorotation · Ruleville, MSReported engine quit on a spray run. Made forced run on landing and nosed over power loss undetermined.Jul 3, 1988 · Substantial damage