- Date
- July 11, 1988, 10:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Stockbridge, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N12087Bell 47D1 (OH-13E)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880711026589A
- Case key
- 13848
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 plt was spraying an onion field when he noted a vibration, followed by a loud noise & severe shaking of the helicopter. He attempted a forced landing, but the helicopter was unresponsive to cyclic & collective inputs. Subsequently, the right skid dug into the ground & collapsed during touchdown, then the main rotor blades struck the ground. A post acdnt inspn revealed the bolt, which connected the drive link to the collective scissors arm, was missing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12087
- Reported as
- Bell 47D1 (OH-13E) (47D1 (OH-1)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 734
- Airframe hours
- 7,951
- Engine
- Franklin 6V4-200-C32, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Allied Helicopter Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 21, 1988 · 113 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
- 62
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,877 total · 12,697 in this make and model · 12,807 as pilot in command · 135 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.