- Date
- January 17, 1990, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N90836Bell 47-G2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900117000669A
- Case key
- 14620
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 helicopter student's iproper use of the collective pitch lever during the landing phase of flight. The pilot's lack of total expereince, the relatively high wind, and inadvertent liftoff of the helicopter were factors related to the accident.
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 private pilot rated helicopter student was performing the first landing on his first solo helicopter flight, while his instructor observed from the ground. The helicopter student reported that he was landing into 15 knot winds, and stated that the 'aircraft was set to the ground slowly...(however) I did not place (collective) firmly on the floor. Aircraft was light on skids aircraft rotated left...over control (resulted in a) tail strike...loss of anti-torque control...' The helicopter rotated 360 degrees before the main rotor blades struck the ground and the helicopter came to a rest on its side. The pilot's logbook records indicated 3,693 hours total flight time, including 15 hours of rotorcraft experience. The 15 hours of rotorcraft flight time were acquired in the accident aircraft within the 30 days preceding the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90836
- Reported as
- Bell 47-G2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- JT001
- Airframe hours
- 2,451
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Townsend, John R.
- Registered owner
- Townsend, John R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 2, 1989 · 41 hours before
- Airport
- 3AR · Aretz Field
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,693 total · 15 in this make and model · 3,489 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAF, 6 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 N90836 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.