- Date
- August 14, 1990, 05:54 local (09:54 UTC)
- Place
- Stockbridge, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3656FBell 47 D-1
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900814032999A
- Case key
- 14445
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 restricted visual lookout which resulted from the canopy fogging up.
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 agricultural heilcopter had just taken off on an early morning re-positioning flight when the canopy became completely fogged over. Before the pilot could re-orient himself by looking out the side opening, the helicopter collided with a power pole and wires. The collision caused the fuel tank to rupture and sprayed aviation fuel onto the hot engine and exhaust pipes. The ensuing fire destroyed the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3656F
- Reported as
- Bell 47 D-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 307
- Airframe hours
- 5,166
- Engine
- Franklin 6V4200-C32, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Allied Helicopter Service, Inc
- Registered owner
- Allied Helicopter Ser., Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 25, 1990 · 62 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,149 total · 10,700 in this make and model · 10,309 as pilot in command · 240 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JXN, 17 nm away
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 N3656F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.