- Date
- December 30, 1998, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Murfreesboro, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N123NMBell 47G-3B-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 22, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981230034399A
- Case key
- 45507
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate flare and his diverted attention, which resulted in a hard landing.
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 had completed a local photographic flight, and was returning to the airport to refuel. While on short final to land, about five feet above the ground, the pilot's flight chart slipped off his right leg, and he was momentarily distracted while looking down to retrieve the chart. The pilot reported that the helicopter struck the ground in a level attitude on the skids. The passenger described the touchdown as 'abnormally hard'. The pilot said when he went to reposition the helicopter for refueling, he had no tail rotor pedal control. He then proceeded to shut the helicopter down. An examination of the helicopter disclosed that the tail boom assembly had been severed, and there was damage to the trailing edge of one of the main rotor blades. No mechanical problems with the helicopter were reported by the pilot.
Factual narrative
On December 30, 1998, about 1500 central standard time, a Bell 47G-3B-2 helicopter, N123NM, collided with the ground during a landing on runway 36 at the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport (MBT), Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The helicopter was operated by Photo Data Services LLC, under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the local aerial survey flight. There were no injuries to the commercial helicopter pilot nor the photographer. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The flight had originated from the Murfreesboro Airport about 1400, on the same day.
The pilot had completed a local photographic flight, and was returning to the airport to refuel. While on short final to land, about five feet above the ground, the pilot's flight chart slipped off his right leg, and he was momentarily distracted while looking down to retrieve the chart. The pilot reported that the helicopter struck the ground in a level attitude on the skids. The passenger described the touchdown as "abnormally hard". The pilot said when he went to reposition the helicopter for refueling, he had no tail rotor pedal control. He then proceeded to shut the helicopter down.
An examination of the helicopter disclosed that the tail boom assembly had been severed, and there was damage to the trailing edge of one of the main rotor blades. No mechanical problems with the helicopter were reported by the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N123NM
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6702
- Airframe hours
- 8,514
- Engine
- Allison CAE C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Photo Data Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 6, 1998 · 176 hours before
- Departed
- MBT
- Airport
- MBT · Murfreesboro Municipal, runway 36, concrete
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,813 total · 149 in this make and model · 1,615 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MBT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.