# NTSB IAD03LA042: Bell BHT-47-G3B2A, N47SN, Lexington, KY, March 27, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 27, 2003, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC) - Place: Lexington, KY - Coordinates: 38.039165, -84.608886 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.0392&lon=-84.6089&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 28, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: LOUSIVILLE FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56708 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=IAD03LA042 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56708/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD03LA042 ## 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 In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, taxi - aerial - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - Hard landing, emergency landing - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - Gear collapsed, emergency landing - landing gear,skid assembly - collapsed - Roll over, emergency landing ## 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](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N47SN-2008-05-19), registration cancelled 2008-05-19, S/N 6860, built 1973 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Bell BHT-47-G3B2A - Registry model: [Bell 47G3B2A](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47g3b2a) (registry code 1181025) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TVO-435-GIA](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tvo-435-gia) (registry code 41526, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 6860 - Airframe hours: 8815 - Engines: 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 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 70; injuries: none; 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030327003279A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030327003279A), Mar 27, 2003: Bell 47G3B2A, Lexington, KY, Substantial damage. (-23) On March 27, 2003, a Bell 47G-B3-2A received substantial damage resulting from an apparent loss of directional control and subsequent main rotor ground… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.