- Date
- October 18, 2015, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Searchlight, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N73224Bell 47G
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Las Vegas FSDO
- Case key
- 92342
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 adequate clearance from a tree during hover flight.
Findings · 4
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 pilot of a helicopter reported that during a 10 foot hover, he encountered a gust of wind and felt the tail rotor impact a tree. The pilot initiated an autorotation, but the main rotor impacted the tail boom during the descent and the helicopter rolled over after touchdown. The main rotor and tail boom were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a helicopter reported that during a 10 foot hover, he encountered a gust of wind and felt the tail rotor impact a tree. The pilot initiated an autorotation, but the main rotor impacted the tail boom during the descent and the helicopter rolled over after touchdown. The main rotor and tail boom were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73224
- Reported as
- Bell 47G (3B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2759
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 10,986
- Engine
- Avco Lycoming TVO-435-B1A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- US Helicopter LLC.
- Registered owner
- US Helicopter LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 2015
- Departed
- Searchlight, NV
- Destination
- Searchlight, NV
- Equipment
- None
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 20, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 12,000 in this make and model · 300 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KBVU, 30 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 3, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB in all.
Other investigations on N73224 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.