- Date
- July 31, 1990, 10:07 local (15:07 UTC)
- Place
- Coon Rapids, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4990HBell 47G3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900731029399A
- Case key
- 14487
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-in-command's inaccurate fuel consumption calculations and misjudgement of his fuel supply.
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
While in normal cruise flight, the helicopter experienced a total loss of engine power. An autorotational landing was attempted, however the pilot misjudged the flare and landed hard rendering substantial damage to the aircraft. Subsequent investigation revealed only unusable fuel in the tanks of the helicopter. When fuel was added to the tanks the engine ran normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4990H
- Reported as
- Bell 47G3B1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2942
- Airframe hours
- 4,410
- Engine
- Lycoming VO435A1F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Scott Churchill
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 13, 1990 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- Coon Rapids, MN
- Destination
- ANE · Anoka Co., MN
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 7,000 in this make and model · 7,550 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSP, 16 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.