- Date
- November 24, 1991, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Texarkana, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8134JBell 47G3B2A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911124053379A
- Case key
- 18409
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 failure to maintain proper terrain clearance during takeoff. A factor was his lack of total experience in helicopters.
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 25 hour helicopter student pilot, on an endorsed solo flight, landed in an open field adjacent to his son's house. His two adolescent grandchildren boarded the helicopter to go for a flight. As the helicopter settled while passing through effective translational lift, the pilot failed to maintain terrain clearance and the right skid impacted the soft ground resulting in a loss of control.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8134J
- Reported as
- Bell 47G3B2A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6835
- Airframe hours
- 6,632
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-F1A, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William T. RushinGs, doing business as E.T.P., Inc.
- Registered owner
- Wile.T.P., Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 21, 1991 · 77 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Atlanta, TX
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 233 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TXK, 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.