- Date
- July 31, 1983, 09:08 local (16:08 UTC)
- Place
- S. Lake Tahoe, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N11102Bell 47G-3B-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830731036789A
- Case key
- 23482
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
During takeoff over descending terrain in a mountainous area, the RPM began decaying when the helicopter had accelerated to 40 KTS & was about 75 ft AGL. The plt applied more throttle & increased the collective, then noted that the manifold pressure was decreasing & the RPM continued to decay. The helicopter settled to the ground, rolled onto its left side & came to rest inverted. An exam revealed no reason for the loss of power. The density alt was about 8100 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11102
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3351
- Airframe hours
- 9,735
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-G1A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pine Belt Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · July 27, 1983 · 4 hours before
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
- 21
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,127 total · 830 in this make and model · 2,638 as pilot in command · 109 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVL, 16 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.
Other investigations on N11102 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.