- Date
- September 24, 1984, 09:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place
- Bluefield, WV
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1398XBell 47G-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840924050649A
- Case key
- 6550
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he hovered the helicopter, made a right pedal turn and initiated a hover taxi across a rocky ravine adjacent to the pad. When over the ravine the helicopter settled onto to boulders beneath it. The pilot also stated that he thought he lost ground effect.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1398X
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-5
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7844
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-B1A, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Cincinnati Airways, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- CRW · Charleston, WV
- Airport
- BLF · Mercer County
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,897 total · 1,742 in this make and model · 5,657 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BLF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.