- Date
- December 13, 1983, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Paradise, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N42403Bell 47H-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831213070059A
- Case key
- 24120
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
According to witnesses, the helicopter lifted off near the north end of rwy 17 while on an eastenly heading. After lift-off, it turned right, as if to proceed down the rwy. After rising to about 5 ft AGL, it settled & contacted the rwy, rose again, then tilted to the right. Subsequently, it struck 2 parked acft, then crashed & burned. The plt was thrown from the acft, but the fire spread in his direction & he was burned. An inspection of the wreckage was made, but no preimpact failures were found. The plt was seriously injured, and reportedly, he could not remember the flt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42403
- Reported as
- Bell 47H-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1534
- Engine
- Franklin 6V4-200-C32, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bryan Allen Elhardt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Airport
- Q88 · Paradise, runway 17, 2,000 × 21 ft, asphalt
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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 566 total · 85 in this make and model · 461 as pilot in command · 177 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.