- Date
- March 16, 1985, 14:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Erin, TN
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N73DBBell 47G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850316007679A
- Case key
- 6763
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
After a power loss at low alt. During approach to touchdown,the pilot bled off rotor RPM attempting to clear power lines across his approach path. This resulted in a lack of rotor energy necessary for an autorotaiton landing. A hard landing resulted. Carburetor heat was not used except during initial runup and weather conditions were favorable for carburetor ice formation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73DB
- Reported as
- Bell 47G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1277 DBA
- Airframe hours
- 58,689
- Engine
- Franklin 6V-335-A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas. Luipersbeck
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 22, 1985 · 345 hours before
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,154 total · 75 in this make and model · 889 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N73DB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.