20050519009619A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 47G-5A · Brush, CO · May 19, 2005

Date: May 19, 2005 · 19:30 local
Place: Brush, CO
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N59403
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN05CA078
Reported as: Bell 47G5A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 205 total62 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days

N59403Registered now · Bell 47G-5AS/N 25140 · Built 1973 Airframe modelBell 47G-5A 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) Helicopter was resting on trailer, attached to chevy suburban. The pilot/new owner decided to remove helo from trailer. After starting helo pilot was lifting off trailer and planned to move laterally to the right to set it on the ground. He did not notice that the aft portion of the r/h skid had not cleared the fenderwell of the trailer. The aircraft started to roll right and the pilot corrected with down collective which resulted in heavy impact on the l/h skid. This impact may have caused structural damage to the tail boom. As the pilot brought the aircraft to hover, the tail boom dropped down, pulling the short shaft out of the tranmsission, which subsequently changed the center of gravity forward. Main rotor blades contacted chevy suburban and the ground to quickly for the pilot to react. The helicopter came to rest on it's left side.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) HELICOPTER WAS RESTING ON TRAILER, ATTACHED TO CHEVY SUBURBAN. THE PILOT/NEW OWNER DECIDED TO REMOVE HELO FROM TRAILER. AFTER STARTING HELO PILOT WAS LIFTING OFF TRAILER AND PLANNED TO MOVE LATERALLY TO THE RIGHT TO SET IT ON THE GROUND. HE DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE AFT PORTION OF THE R/H SKID HAD NOT CLEARED THE FENDERWELL OF THE TRAILER. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO ROLL RIGHT AND THE PILOT CORRECTED WITH DOWN COLLECTIVE WHICH RESULTED IN HEAVY IMPACT ON THE L/H SKID. THIS IMPACT MAY HAVE CAUSED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM. AS THE PILOT BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT TO HOVER, THE TAIL BOOM DROPPED DOWN, PULLING THE SHORT SHAFT OUT OF THE TRANMSISSION, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY CHANGED THE CENTER OF GRAVITY FORWARD. MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED CHEVY SUBURBAN AND THE GROUND TO QUICKLY FOR THE PILOT TO REACT. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON IT'S LEFT SIDE.

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 DEN05CA078Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportBrush, COThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the truck trailer during takeoff. A factor contributing to this accident was the truck trailer.May 19, 2005 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N59403 · 1

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

Accident 19910309004819AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Farmington, CAFlew into liquid fertilizer during a turn from spray run. Lost engine RPM settled to ground. Air intake was fouled.Mar 9, 1991 · Substantial damage