- Date
- March 27, 2003, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Lexington, KY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N47SNBell BHT-47-G3B2A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- LOUSIVILLE FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030327003279A
- Case key
- 56708
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 directional control while maneuvering to land after a loss of engine power. A factor was the loss of engine power.
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
About 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed an occasional "shuffle", or what felt like an "out of balance condition", and decided to return to land. As he approached the landing site, a dolly about 15 feet away, the engine lost power and the helicopter settled to the ground with the engine running. The pilot checked all the gauges for any abnormal indication, and the engine responded to throttle travel, so he lifted to a hover and started to move toward the dolly. When the helicopter was halfway over the dolly, there were more oscillations and it became harder to control. The helicopter then started to drift to the left, and the engine lost power. The pilot was unable to stop the drift or the descent. As the helicopter touched down, the left skid collapsed and the helicopter slid, rolled onto its left side, and came to rest against a fence. Examination of the helicopter revealed no mechanical deficiencies.
Factual narrative
On March 27, 2003, at 1615 eastern standard time, a Bell BHT-47-G3B2A, N47SN, was substantially damaged while attempting to land on a dolly at a private helipad in Lexington, Kentucky. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. No flight plan was filed for the local flight that originated from the private helipad, about 1515. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the pilot explained that the helicopter had not been flown in a long time and he was flying it "to exercise the machine." About 20 minutes into the flight, he noticed an occasional "shuffle," or what felt like an "out of balance condition." He stated that as the flight progressed, this condition happened more frequently, and he decided to return to the helipad.
As he approached the landing site, the engine lost power and settled to the ground with the engine running. He was about 15 feet from the dolly he intended to land on. He checked all the gauges for any abnormal indication, and the engine responded to the throttle travel, so he lifted to a hover and started to move toward the dolly.
As he was halfway over the dolly, there were more oscillations and the helicopter became harder to control. The helicopter then started to drift to the left, and the engine lost power. The pilot was unable to stop the drift or the descent. As the helicopter touched down, the left skid collapsed and the helicopter slid, rolled onto its left side, and came to rest against a fence. The engine was not running at that time.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector performed an on-scene examination of the helicopter. According to the inspector, examination of the helicopter revealed that the main rotor blades were separated from ground contact, and the tailboom was fractured. Flight control continuity was established for all flight control surfaces. Fuel was found in the carburetor, and no mechanical anomalies were noted.
The pilot reported a total of 8,479 hours of flight time, of which, 30 hours were in make and model.
The pilot also reported no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter.
Weather reported at Blue Grass Airport (LEX),Lexington, Kentucky, 8 miles west of the accident site, at 1354, included winds from 190 degrees at 11 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and clear skies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47SN
- Reported as
- Bell BHT-47-G3B2A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6860
- Airframe hours
- 8,815
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-FIA, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Whitaker Bank Corporation Of Kentucky
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 2002 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Lexington, KY
- Airport
- NONE · Private Helipad in Lexington
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
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- October 31, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,479 total · 30 in this make and model · 6,370 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- LEX, 8 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.