- Date
- April 10, 1985, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Panama City Bch, FL
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N54522Bell 47G-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 31239
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 pilot was carrying two paying passengers for a sightseeing ride and had taken off two minutes earlier from a helicopter pad at the beach. He stated that he felt the engine sputter, the cyclic stick shake, less than 10 seconds later the acft hit the water in level attitude with a very high rate of descent. He had completed 14 flights and the engine had been run for about 30 minutes since he topped-off the tanks the night before. He expressed doubts about the accuracy of the fuel quantity gage. He did not visually check the tanks that morning. He did not possess a pilot's certificate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54522
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1375
- Airframe hours
- 10,666
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1D, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Yellow Whirleybird, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 9, 1985 · 0 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,336 total · 2,336 in this make and model · 2,297 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PFN, 8 nm away