- Date
- September 27, 1983, 17:20 local (Sep 28, 1983, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Lodi, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7956SBell 47G-4G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830927055499A
- Case key
- 23519
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, the helicopter lost power after climbing aprx 20 ft. the plt made an autorotative landing, but after touchdown, the helicopter slid down a river bank, rolled over & began burning. The fuel tanks did not rupture & still contained fuel. When fuel was drained from each tank, each sample contained water & considerable water was found in the left tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7956S
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-4G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7551
- Airframe hours
- 8,649
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-B1B3, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lodi Vintage Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 26, 1983 · 28 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
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 515 total · 325 in this make and model · 449 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SCK, 17 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.