- Date
- July 31, 1986, 09:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lihue, HI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N700ECBell 47G-3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860731036759A
- Case key
- 24941
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
The helicoper crashed into trees while on a local pleasure flight. The pilot indicated that while hovering out of ground effect the main rotor and engine RPM were dropping below the minimum operating limits. The pilot lowered the collective to regain RPM but was not succussful. The main rotor blades struck several trees and the helicopter went straight down. The pilot and one passenger, also a pilot, stated there was nothing mechanically wrong with the aircraft. The accident site elevation was 3,500 ft MSL and the temperature was 81 degs (f). Density altitude was aprx 5,300 ft MSL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N700EC
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2945
- Airframe hours
- 6,991
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-B1, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Richard V. Coffin, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 7, 1986 · 79 hours before
- Departed
- LIH · Lihue, HI
- Destination
- LIH · Lihue, HI
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 80 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 175 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LIH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.