- Date
- December 2, 1988, 15:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Allen, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N74124Bell 47-D1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881202071199A
- Case key
- 22693
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
Unqualified pilot's poor judgement in leveling the helicopter during the flare and contributing to this was his lack of total experience in this type aircraft.
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 non-rated, private airplane pilot was flying his helicopter in the traffic pattern and practicing power recovery autorotations, when on the third or fourth attempt, the pilot/owner flared excessively causing the tail rotor blades to strike the ground. The tail rotor system separated and the helicopter rolled over resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor system and airframe.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74124
- Reported as
- Bell 47-D1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- WH-5009
- Engine
- Franklin 6V4-200-C32, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Skelton, Paul E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ADS, 10 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 N74124 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.