- Date
- January 2, 1982, 16:07 local (21:07 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N23BSSmith WCS-222 (Bell 47G)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 2, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820102000189A
- Case key
- 71674
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 flight, the engine lost power and fire erupted on the engine compartment. Subsequently, the engine driven hydraulic boost for the flight control system became inoperative. The pilot was flying over a populated area. During his forced landing, he was forced to divert to a second landing site with a crosswind to avoid personnel and obstructions. The wind was gusting to 12 knots. During touchdown, the main rotor blades flexed downward and severed the tail boom. The engine compartment fire was still burning in the vicinity of the air cleaner, but was extinguished without further damage to the aircraft. An investigation revealed that a connecting rod assembly had failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23BS
- Reported as
- Smith WCS-222 (Bell 47G) (WCS-222 (B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- WCS 001
- Airframe hours
- 4,204
- Engine
- Franklin O-335-5D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- G. Wayne Stewart
- Registered owner
- G. Wayne Stewart
- Departed
- Miami, FL
- Destination
- Miami, FL
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 8,011 total · 1 in this make and model · 4,650 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 172 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.