- Date
- August 12, 1995, 10:25 local (15:25 UTC)
- Place
- Arlington Hts, IL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4032GBell 47
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 8, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950812023409A
- Case key
- 9987
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
plot misjudged the flare. The factors included the pilot getting too close to the lead helicopter, allowing his airspeed to get too slow, and encountering settling with power.
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 pilot reported that he was the pilot of the second helicopter in a flight of two helicopters landing at the Arlington park race track's parking lot. As he approached the landing zone, he got too close to the lead helicopter. He slowed the helicopter to almost a hover and then tried to make a steep approach to the zone. He reported that his airspeed was too slow and the helicopter went into settling with power and landed hard.
Factual narrative
On August 12, 1995, at 1025 central daylight time, a Bell-47, N4032G, operated by Clark Enviromental Misquito Management, sustained substantial damage as a result of a hard landing. The helicopter was going to be used as a static display aircraft at the Arlington Park Race Track, located in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The commercial pilot and one passenger received minor injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight departed the Clarke Heliport en route to the Arlington Park Race Track. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that he was the pilot of the second helicopter in a flight of two helicopters landing at the Arlington Park Race Track's parking lot. As he approached the landing zone, he got too close to the lead helicopter. He slowed the helicopter to almost a hover and then tried to make a steep approach to the zone. He reported that his airspeed was too slow and the helicopter went into settling with power. The helicopter landed hard on the pavement.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4032G
- Reported as
- Bell 47
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7618
- Airframe hours
- 7,491
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-B1B3, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clark Enviromental Mosquito
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 26, 1995 · 87 hours before
- Departed
- LL95 · Clarke Heliport, IL
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,382 total · 134 in this make and model · 50 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PWK, 30 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 N4032G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.