20150724011709A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 47G-4A · Gilbert, IA · July 24, 2015

Date: July 24, 2015 · 18:00 local
Place: Gilbert, IA
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: 1VHG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1396X
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN15LA322
Reported as: Bell 47G-4A
Reported engine: Lycoming VO-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,600 total1,200 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N1396XRegistered now · Bell 47G-4AS/N 7570 · Built 1967 Airframe modelBell 47G-4A Engine modelLycoming VO-540 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.

After completing aerial application, the pilot climbed up to an altitude of approximately 150 AGL over the corn field. The airman then nosed the aircraft over to fly to a landing site nearby. The airspeed was described by the pilot as slow when he nosed the aircraft over. The engine suddenly quit and the airman entered an auto-rotational descent. The helicopter's rotor RPM was again described by the pilot as having decayed. The aircraft entered the corn and struck the ground sustaining substantial damage to the tailboom, rotor system, skids and main frame. The helicopter impacted and remained in an upright position. The airman reported no injury at the time of his interview. As the corn was tall, some parts of the tail boom could not be located and therefore were not examined.

Post-crash inspection of the helicopter yielded about 11 to 12 gallons of fuel in the fuel tanks. The airman was able with little difficulty to start the engine and it ran normally.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER COMPLETING AERIAL APPLICATION, THE PILOT CLIMBED UP TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 150 AGL OVER THE CORN FIELD. THE AIRMAN THEN NOSED THE AIRCRAFT OVER TO FLY TO A LANDING SITE NEARBY. THE AIRSPEED WAS DESCRIBED BY THE PILOT AS SLOW WHEN HE NOSED THE AIRCRAFT OVER. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT AND THE AIRMAN ENTERED AN AUTO-ROTATIONAL DESCENT. THE HELICOPTER'S ROTOR RPM WAS AGAIN DESCRIBED BY THE PILOT AS HAVING DECAYED. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE CORN AND STRUCK THE GROUND SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAILBOOM, ROTOR SYSTEM, SKIDS AND MAIN FRAME. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED AND REMAINED IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE AIRMAN REPORTED NO INJURY AT THE TIME OF HIS INTERVIEW. AS THE CORN WAS TALL, SOME PARTS OF THE TAIL BOOM COULD NOT BE LOCATED AND THEREFORE WERE NOT EXAMINED.

POST-CRASH INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER YIELDED ABOUT 11 TO 12 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE AIRMAN WAS ABLE WITH LITTLE DIFFICULTY TO START THE ENGINE AND IT RAN NORMALLY.

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 CEN15LA322Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGilbert, IAThe total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation because the available fuel shifted within the tanks due to an abrupt nose-low maneuver to avoid an obstacle, which resulted in a hard forced landing.Jul 24, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N1396X · 2

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

Incident 20130729014999IBeaman, IAThe airman was conducting agricultural aerial application in a cornfield. He had conducted multiple passes in this field. The field had electrical transmission lines that were running through the field. The airman was aware of the wires had conducted multiple…Jul 29, 2013 · Minor damage Accident 19740120003369ANormal Cruise · Wapato, WAEnrt to evac flood victims. Acft observed in controlled descent until hitting pwr lines.Jan 20, 1974 · Destroyed