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20110927022599A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 47D1 · Ahwahnee, CA · September 27, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 27, 2011 · 10:40 local
Place
Ahwahnee, CA
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9158R
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR11LA469
Reported as
Bell 47D1
Reported engine
Franklin 6V4 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
231 total231 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days
N9158RRegistered now · Bell 47D1S/N 455 · Built 1960Airframe 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.

On September 27, 2011, N9158R a Bell 47 helicopter, with the owner and a certificated mechanic on board conducting a maintenance flight were involved in an accident. Upon return from a maintenance flight the pilot allowed the helicopter to get slow and below the approach path to the helipad. As the pilot tried to raise collective the helicopter continued to descent at a rapid rate, the pilot stated he added power but the aircraft continued to descent towards the trees the pilot recognized that he entered settling-with- power but was unable to get out of the situation due to the close proximity to the trees and raising terrain surrounding him.. The certificated mechanic onboard the aircraft stated that the aircrafts engine was operating at full power and the pilot was raising the collective to stop the descent rate, but was unsuccessful. The aircraft settled into the trees substantially damaging the aircraft. The passenger was able to free himself but pilot had to be extracted by fire department. The passenger suffered from minor injurers , the pilot received serious injuries.

As the FAA filed it

ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2011, N9158R A BELL 47 HELICOPTER, WITH THE OWNER AND A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC ON BOARD CONDUCTING A MAINTENANCE FLIGHT WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. UPON RETURN FROM A MAINTENANCE FLIGHT THE PILOT ALLOWED THE HELICOPTER TO GET SLOW AND BELOW THE APPROACH PATH TO THE HELIPAD. AS THE PILOT TRIED TO RAISE COLLECTIVE THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO DESCENT AT A RAPID RATE, THE PILOT STATED HE ADDED POWER BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCENT TOWARDS THE TREES THE PILOT RECOGNIZED THAT HE ENTERED SETTLING-WITH- POWER BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE SITUATION DUE TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE TREES AND RAISING TERRAIN SURROUNDING HIM.. THE CERTIFICATED MECHANIC ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFTS ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT FULL POWER AND THE PILOT WAS RAISING THE COLLECTIVE TO STOP THE DESCENT RATE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO THE TREES SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PASSENGER WAS ABLE TO FREE HIMSELF BUT PILOT HAD TO BE EXTRACTED BY FIRE DEPARTMENT.THE PASSENGER SUFFERED FROM MINOR INJURERS , THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES.

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 WPR11LA469Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAhwahnee, CAThe pilot’s failure to maintain adequate main rotor rpm during the landing approach, which resulted in a loss of control.Sep 27, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9158R · 1

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

Accident 19840520017799ADescent · Alpena, MIBuzzed area then pulled up steeply and stalled rotors. Helicopter fell into a wooded area.May 20, 1984 · Destroyed