- Date
- March 17, 1986, 19:15 local (Mar 18, 1986, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Beaumont, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N2275BBell 47G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860317006899A
- Case key
- 21999
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
The pilot was taking off from an area which was protected from the wind by a large building. After obtaining translational lift and climbing above the building, a right quartering tail wind, with gusts to 20 knots, was encountered. The pilot stated he lost translational lift and his rotor RPM decayed. The helicopter descended and upon touchdown the front toe of the right skid sunk into the soft soil and helicopter rolled onto its right side.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2275B
- Reported as
- Bell 47G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1176
- Airframe hours
- 5,209
- Engine
- Franklin 6VS335A, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kevin C. Tassin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 1985 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- BMT · Beaumont, TX
- Destination
- 37R · Jennings, LA
- Airport
- BMT · Beaumont Muni
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
- 36
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 598 total · 4 in this make and model · 442 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 120° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BPT, 15 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.