- Date
- July 4, 1991, 10:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Colorado Spring, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N40DPBell 47G-3B-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910704025849A
- Case key
- 18110
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 attempting to operate the helicopter outside the design operating envelope. Factors were: high altitude, high temperature, and high density altitude.
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
During takeoff from a high altitude, high density altitude helicopter pad, insufficient power was available to maintain flight out of ground effect and the helicopter settled into rough and uneven terrain. The main rotor blades struck the terrain during landing. Density altitude was 11,700 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40DP
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3763
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435V1, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Helitech, Inc.
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
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,300 total · 500 in this make and model · 29,023 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 65 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.