- Date
- September 10, 1991, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Chula Vista, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2618DBell 47G-3B-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910910038949A
- Case key
- 27356
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain the proper airspeed and misjudging the landing flare altitude. The powerplant failure for an undetermined reason and the unsuitable terrain for the float equipped helicopter were factors in the accident.
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 pilot was conducting a maintenance test flight over land in a helicopter equipped with a float landing gear. His first autorotation was terminated with a power recovery. During his second autorotation the engine failed. The pilot misjudged his autorotative landing flare and the helicopter touched down with a forward ground speed and tumbled along its ground path.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2618D
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6676
- Airframe hours
- 12,811
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 318 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- K & L Helicopters
- Registered owner
- K & L Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 10, 1991 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- SEE · El Cajon, CA
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
- 40
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,514 total · 100 in this make and model · 2,283 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SEE, 15 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.