# Accident 20100613041729A: Bell 47G-2, Plymouth, MI, June 13, 2010 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 13, 2010, 16:20 local time - Place: Plymouth, MI - Airport: Mettetal - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 42.3481° N, 83.4564° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.3481&lon=-83.4564&mi=10 - Aircraft: N47WK (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BELL 47G-2 - Reported engine: LYCOMING VO-435 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 152 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN10CA317](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10CA317) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100613041729A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JUNE 13, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 1650 INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECEIVED A CALL FROM INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REQUESTING RESPONSE TO A HELICOPTER ACCIDENT ON THE 275 JUST NORTH OF ANN ARBOR ROAD. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS BRIEFED THAT DETROIT - FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (DTW-FSDO) FRONT LINE MANAGER (FLM) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAPPENED TO BE ON THE 275 JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND STOPPED TO ASSIST PLYMOUTH POLICE AND THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE WITH THE CRASH. FLM ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM A MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR FROM THE DTW-FSDO, SO THAT FUEL SAMPLES COULD BE TAKEN FROM THE HELICOPTER AND THE FUEL FARM WHICH HAD JUST FUELED THE HELICOPTER PRIOR FLIGHT. UPON ARRIVAL AT MCMAHON HELICOPTERS WHERE THE HELICOPTER WAS TAKEN, INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOOK PICTURES OF N47WK DAMAGE & WRECKAGE, DRAINED FUEL FROM THE LEFT & RIGHT FUEL TANK; INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN INTERVIEWED THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A PRIVATE PILOT WITH A THIRD CLASS MEDICAL. MR. PIERCE HAD A VALID PILOT'S LICENSE AND MEDICAL ON HIS PERSON AS REQUIRED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS ON A PLEASURE FLIGHT BY HIMSELF (NO PASSENGERS) TO FLY OVER HIS HOME IN HUNTINGTON WOODS, MI; HE DEPARTED MCMAHON HELICOPTERS @ 1600 LOCAL TO GET FUEL AT KITZE AVIATION, BOTH AT METTETAL AIRPORT (1D2). AT APPROXIMATELY 1615, 15 MINUTES LATER HE COMPLETED A PRE-FLIGHT CHECK WHICH INCLUDED A MAGNETO DROP CHECK WITH ALL CHECKING NORMAL; HE THEN DEPARTED FOR HUNTINGTON WOODS, MI TO OVER FLY HIS HOME AT 500'AGL. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE OVER THE 275 EXPRESSWAY JUST NORTH OF ANN ARBOR ROAD EXIT HE LOST POWER AND AUTO-ROTATED INTO THE 275 EXPRESSWAY GRASS MEDIAN. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASKED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IF HE FLEW LEFT, RIGHT OR BOTH FUEL TANKS, HE RESPONDED THAT HE FLEW ON BOTH. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ASKED IF HE HAD HIS FLIGHT PILOT RECORDS WITH HIM AND HE SAID THEY WERE AT HIS HOME. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DRAINED THE CARBURETOR AND COLLESOR INTO A GLASS JAR; THEN SEPARATELY DRAINED THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL TANK INTO ANOTHER GLASS JAR. THE VISUAL RESULTS WERE NEGATIVE FOR CONTAMINATION OR WATER IN THE FUEL. THE MECHANIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO WORKS ON THE HELICOPTER WAS PRESENT DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS AND HE WAS ASKED IF THE MAINTENANCE LOGBOOK WAS ON SITE, HE RESPONDED NO AND SAID HE KEEPS THEM AT HIS HOME AND CAN GO GET THEM AS HE DOES NOT LIVE FAR. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE WOULD LOOK AT THEM MONDAY OR TUESDAY. HE WAS VERBALLY ASKED IF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION AND RECORDS WERE UP TO DATE, HE RESPONDED YES. AT APPROXIMATELY1900 HOURS INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PUMPED OUT ONE GALLON OF FUEL FROM PUMP #1 LABELED 100LL, IT ALSO WAS FREE OF CONTAMINATES, VISUAL RESULTS WERE NEGATIVE FOR CONTAMINATION OR WATER IN THE FUEL. SINCE INDICATIONS WERE THAT NO ONE HAD TAKEN PHOTOS AT THE SCENE INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PROCEEDED TO I275 & ANN ARBOR ROAD EXIT TO TAKE PHOTOS BEFORE DARK, NUMEROUS PHOTOS WERE TAKEN. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN PROCEEDED TO THE PLYMOUTH POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR A POLICE REPORT NUMBER, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT NONE WAS AVAILABLE SINCE JURISDICTION FOR THIS ACCIDENT, IS THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE. A CALL WAS PLACED TO THE MICHIGAN STATE POLICE, OFFICER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OUT OF THE TAYLOR FACILITY. INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS GIVEN REPORT NUMBER 25-259810 WHICH WOULD BE AVAILABLE BY WEDNESDAY. ## 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 CEN10CA317](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10CA317), Jun 13, 2010: Bell 47G (N47WK), Plymouth, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat, which led to carburetor icing and a loss of engine power following takeoff. 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.