- Date
- June 28, 2021, 13:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Brasstown, NC · On a private farm
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N147AHBell 47G-2A-1
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210628011069A
- Case key
- 103367
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’s inflight loss of control while conducting a hovering maneuver.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The non-helicopter rated pilot reported that he had departed from a stationary trailer and hover taxied in ground effect. Upon reaching a taxiway that was parallel to the runway, he lost control of the helicopter and it impacted the ground multiple times before coming to rest on its side. A post-crash fire ensued and the helicopter was destroyed. The pilot stated that he believed he lost control of the helicopter and it had been “running fine” before the accident. Witnesses stated they observed the helicopter lift off from the transport trailer and that once the helicopter cleared the trailer, “it got real wobbly.” The main rotor blades struck the ground two or three times and while continuing forward, the right landing gear skid tube “hit the ground pretty hard”. They said, “the helicopter then bounced back into the air, spun to the right (clockwise) and landed on its left side.”
Aircraft
- Registration
- N147AH
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2A-1 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3774
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 4,286
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 26, 2021 · 10 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- PVT · Brasstown Field
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 26, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,810.4 total · 14.3 in this make and model · 1,930 as pilot in command · 35.1 in the last 90 days · 17.1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- PVT
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 28, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 59.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.