# NTSB investigations: Lycoming VO-435 series: Loss of control in flight

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB CEN26LA234](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA234.md): Bell 47G-2 · Troy, MO · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report · Jun 22, 2026 · N65520 · Substantial damage
  > On June 22, 2026, about 1840 central daylight time, a Bell 47G-2 helicopter, N65520, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Troy, Missouri. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of…
- [NTSB WPR22LA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA096.md): Bell 47 · Fallon, NV · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Feb 11, 2022 · N1023V · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during a hover which, resulted in a collision with a hangar.
- [NTSB ERA21LA272](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA272.md): Bell 47G-2A-1 · Brasstown, NC · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jun 28, 2021 · N147AH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inflight loss of control while conducting a hovering maneuver.
- [NTSB GAA19CA250](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA250.md): Bell 47G · Denton, TX · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 6, 2019 · N5990 · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor's improper decision to instruct the student pilot to establish a hover and reposition the helicopter with a tailwind, which resulted in the student pilot's loss of pitch control.
- [NTSB CEN19LA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA067.md): Bell 47G · Belen, NM · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jan 11, 2019 · N3755Z · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate main rotor speed while the helicopter was in an out-of-ground effect hover.
- [NTSB WPR16LA099](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16LA099.md): Bell 47G 5 · San Ardo, CA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Apr 29, 2016 · N6288N · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the pin in the outboard end of the lateral flight control torque tube.
- [NTSB WPR15LA193](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15LA193.md): Bell 47G 5 · Salinas, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 20, 2015 · N4427F · Substantial damage
  > The non-instrument-rated pilot's visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his spatial disorientation and loss of helicopter control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment by high-dose opioid use.
- [NTSB CEN14LA418](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA418.md): Texas Helicopter OH 13H/M74A · Little Falls, MN · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · May 28, 2014 · N51853 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree at the edge of a field that he was spraying.
- [NTSB CEN12CA484](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12CA484.md): Bell 47G-2A · Austin, IN · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 27, 2012 · N652HA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot did not maintain clearance from terrain during a low-level aerial application flight and lost control of the helicopter.
- [NTSB CEN11CA231](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA231.md): Hiller UH-12D · Iowa, LA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 17, 2011 · N11CU · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate compensation for gusty crosswinds during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
- [NTSB WPR09CA333](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09CA333.md): Bell 47G-2 · Turlock, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 8, 2009 · N6768D · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM while maneuvering at a low altitude.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.engine_model_code IN ('41525')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' e WHERE e.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND e.aircrafts_position = x.position AND e."isDefiningEvent" AND e."tier2Number" = '240'))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/cases?engine=41525

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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.