- Date
- May 13, 1990, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Baltimore, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4229ABell 47D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900513015869A
- Case key
- 11591
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 applied excessive cyclic control, causing the main rotor to flex and severe the tail cone.
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 plt was practicing landings when the accident occurred. He reported that after touch down, as the forward motion of the helicopter slowed, he noticed the helicopter pitched slightly down. The plt stated he instinctively applied aft cyclic pressure, causing the main rotor blades to flex down and severe the tail cone. No mechanical malfunction was reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4229A
- Reported as
- Bell 47D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 001
- Airframe hours
- 2,514
- Engine
- Franklin 6V4-335, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jesse G. Hadaway
- Registered owner
- Rotorcrafter'S Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 8, 1990 · 79 hours before
- Airport
- W48 · Essex Skypark
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
- 33
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,878 total · 114 in this make and model · 2,676 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft unknown
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI
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 N4229A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.