- Date
- October 20, 1990, 17:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Prairie, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N1071ZBell 47G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901020046509A
- Case key
- 23285
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 inadequate compensation for the existing tailwind conditions and his failure to maintain rotor RPM.
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 CFI was hover taxiing in an approximate 20 kt tailwind condition. He noticed a decrease in rotor RPM and, according to his written report, 'reapplied power to regain rpms.' The pilot elected to land into the wind. Touchdown occurred on a slope and the helicopter rolled onto its right side.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1071Z
- Reported as
- Bell 47G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 999
- Engine
- Lycoming, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Gary Mcfall, doing business as Action Helicopter
- Departed
- F67
- Destination
- F67
- Airport
- F67 · Grand Prairie
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
- 51
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 20 knots, gusting 35
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N1071Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.