- Date
- June 2, 1987, 09:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Payson, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N73916Bell 47G-3B-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870602021119A
- Case key
- 25599
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
A bell 47G-3B-1 collided with trees and was subsequently destroyed by fire after a loss of power in a remote wilderness area. The pilot reported the engine went to idle during flight. He was unable to regain engine RPM by manipulation of the throttle. The pilot was forced to enter autorotation. The pilot was forced to enter trees during the landing. The aircraft was examined by the FAA. The examining inspector stated he was unable to establish control continuity of the helicopters throttle linkage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73916
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2805
- Airframe hours
- 3,808
- Engine
- Lycoming TV0-435-B1A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sherrill Farms, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Sherrill, Charles B.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 27, 1986 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,000 total · 1,145 in this make and model · 90 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N73916 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.