- Date
- May 20, 1984, 17:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Alpena, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9158RBell 47D1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840520017799A
- Case key
- 12606
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
Prior to the accident, the owner/plt of the helicopter reportedly 'buzzed' a local baseball game. Shortly after that, the helicopter was observed to maneuver over a wooded area, enter a nose high attitude, then roll or bank & enter a descent into a wooded area & crash. During an inspection of the helicopter, no preimpact discrepancies were found, except that the annual inspection was overdue. A check of the plt's blood showed an alcohol level of 0.25%.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9158R
- Reported as
- Bell 47D1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 455
- Airframe hours
- 23
- Engine
- Franklin 6V4-200, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- E.L. Decker
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 17, 1979 · 69 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 854 total · 227 in this make and model · 759 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- APN
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 N9158R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.