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20181102023229A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 47G-3B-1 · Iowa Park, TX · November 2, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 2, 2018 · 11:30 local
Place
Iowa Park, TX
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N1159W
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR19LA019
Reported as
Bell 47G-3B-1
Reported engine
Lycoming TV0-435 SER (280 HP)
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
14,961 total90 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days
N1159WRegistration cancelled Dec 4, 2021 · Bell 47G-3B-1S/N 2941 · Built 1964Airframe modelBell 47G-3B-1Engine modelLycoming TVO-435-GIATurbo-prop

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.

The pilot preflighted the helicopter on Friday morning before flying it 65 NM from his home to F14, about a 20 minute flight. He landed and meet with his CFI. After another preflight and servicing the helicopter, they took off to practice autorotations in the traffic pattern. After 5 practice auto rotations to the side of runway 30 terminating with power recoveries, they set-up for a hydraulics off run-on landing. They expanded their traffic pattern, planning on a touchdown on runway 30. The engine quit as the hydraulics were being turned off. They were too FAR out on final to make it to runway 30 at F14. The pilot turned the controls over to the CFI who turned left to autorotate into an open field. They lost rotor RPM as they crossed over a utility wire on the east edge of the landing site. Half of the lower tail fin (vertical stabilizer) was sliced off as it cut through that wire. With low rotor RPM and a high sink rate the main rotor deflected during touchdown and cut off the tailboom. The helicopter reversed direction and rested on it?s right side. The skids were torn off in the soft marshy ground. There was no post-crash fire.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT PREFLIGHTED THE HELICOPTER ON FRIDAY MORNING BEFORE FLYING IT 65 NM FROM HIS HOME TO F14, ABOUT A 20 MINUTE FLIGHT. HE LANDED AND MEET WITH HIS CFI. AFTER ANOTHER PREFLIGHT AND SERVICING THE HELICOPTER, THEY TOOK OFF TO PRACTICE AUTOROTATIONS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. AFTER 5 PRACTICE AUTO ROTATIONS TO THE SIDE OF RUNWAY 30 TERMINATING WITH POWER RECOVERIES, THEY SET-UP FOR A HYDRAULICS OFF RUN-ON LANDING. THEY EXPANDED THEIR TRAFFIC PATTERN, PLANNING ON A TOUCHDOWN ON RUNWAY 30. THE ENGINE QUIT AS THE HYDRAULICS WERE BEING TURNED OFF. THEY WERE TOO FAR OUT ON FINAL TO MAKE IT TO RUNWAY 30 AT F14. THE PILOT TURNED THE CONTROLS OVER TO THE CFI WHO TURNED LEFT TO AUTOROTATE INTO AN OPEN FIELD. THEY LOST ROTOR RPM AS THEY CROSSED OVER A UTILITY WIRE ON THE EAST EDGE OF THE LANDING SITE. HALF OF THE LOWER TAIL FIN (VERTICAL STABILIZER) WAS SLICED OFF AS IT CUT THROUGH THAT WIRE. WITH LOW ROTOR RPM AND A HIGH SINK RATE THE MAIN ROTOR DEFLECTED DURING TOUCHDOWN AND CUT OFF THE TAILBOOM. THE HELICOPTER REVERSED DIRECTION AND RESTED ON IT?S RIGHT SIDE. THE SKIDS WERE TORN OFF IN THE SOFT MARSHY GROUND. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.

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 WPR19LA019Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportWichita Falls, TXA total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.Nov 2, 2018 · Destroyed

Other reports on N1159W · 2

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

Accident 19860509016679APwr Off Run Land (Autorotation · Panama City, FLEngine lost power due to carburetor ice. Main rotor blade severed tail boom on landing. Did not use carburetor heat.May 9, 1986 · Substantial damageAccident 19800816066009ALow Level Operations · Blakely, GAPilot became incapacitated during spray operation. Hit wires. Had been overexposed to toxic parathion.Aug 16, 1980 · Substantial damage