- Date
- September 4, 1985, 08:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Moore Haven, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8429EBell 47G-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850904045889A
- Case key
- 31446
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 plt stated that while flying around his property, he slowed the helicopter up to descend and land, at aprx 40 ft altitude the eng lost power due to carburator ice buildup. He autorotated to a landing & on touchdown his right skid contacted a large boulder and the main rotor tilted back and struck the tailboom. Investigation revealed, at the time of the accident the helicopter was operating at a temperature and dewpoint that in reference to performance charts is condusive to carburator venturi icing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8429E
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2478
- Airframe hours
- 6,023
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-AIB, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Kilpatrick
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 4, 1985 · 33 hours before
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,311 total · 140 in this make and model · 1,236 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FMY, 40 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.
Other investigations on N8429E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.