- Date
- January 13, 2006, 11:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Dennison, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1575Bell 47-B3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Dallas Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20060113000989A
- Case key
- 63101
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 in-flight separation of the stabilizer bar tube.
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 4,900-hour commercial pilot was maneuvering the single engine helicopter during a photo mission at approximately 1,500 feet mean sea level (MSL) at about 45 knots when he reported hearing a loud bang and a nearly simultaneous erratic movement of the cyclic control. The pilot immediately started looking for a place to land the helicopter. The pilot increased the airspeed and headed for a suitable landing area. On final approach to a vacant football field, the helicopter began to spin as the airspeed began to decay. The pilot then elected to enter an autorotation and landed upright with no further damage. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. An FAA inspector that traveled to the accident site reported that one stabilizer tube from the mast control stabilizer bar assembly had separated from the main rotor system and made the tail rotor assembly after it separated from the helicopter. Approximately 3 inches of one tail rotor blade was found fractured and the 90 degree tail rotor gear box separated from the tail rotor drive shaft. At the time of the accident the winds were reported from 360 degrees at 22 knots, gusting to 29 knots.
Factual narrative
The 4,900-hour commercial pilot was maneuvering the single engine helicopter during a photo mission at approximately 1,500 feet mean sea level (MSL) at about 45 knots when he reported hearing a loud bang and a nearly simultaneous erratic movement of the cyclic control. The pilot immediately started looking for a place to land the helicopter. The pilot increased the airspeed and headed for a suitable landing area. On final approach to a vacant football field, the helicopter began to spin as the airspeed began to decay. The pilot then elected to enter an autorotation and landed upright with no further damage. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. An FAA inspector that traveled to the accident site reported that one stabilizer tube from the mast control stabilizer bar assembly had separated from the main rotor system and made the tail rotor assembly after it separated from the helicopter. Approximately 3 inches of one tail rotor blade was found fractured and the 90 degree tail rotor gear box separated from the tail rotor drive shaft. At the time of the accident the winds were reported from 360 degrees at 22 knots, gusting to 29 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1575
- Reported as
- Bell 47-B3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 57
- Airframe hours
- 11,899
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Versatile Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 1, 2005 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- GYI · Ardmore, OK
- Destination
- 1FO · Ardmore, OK
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,900 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 4,800 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 22 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
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 N1575 · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.