- Date
- August 5, 1984, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- West Glacier, MT
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7965JBell 47G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840805069759I
- Case key
- 16462
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
Following in-flight power loss the pilot performed an autorotation to a forced landing on a highway. On touchdown, the main rotor made contact with a passing motor home. Investigation revealed no fuel on board, although the pilot calculated 0.6 hours of fuel should have been remaining.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7965J
- Reported as
- Bell 47G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6859
- Airframe hours
- 3,700
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-F1A, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James W. Krueger
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1984 · 95 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
- 51
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,385 total · 4,200 in this make and model · 140 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FCA, 8 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 N7965J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.