- Date
- May 3, 1987, 12:48 local (17:48 UTC)
- Place
- Panama City Bch, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N43CDBell 47G-3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870503060929A
- Case key
- 31909
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 reported that shortly after takeoff the eng began to lose power, then failed. He then autorotated & set the helicopter down aprx 6 feet offshore. Examination of the eng logbooks by FAA personnel revealed that AD 62-23-02 which requires insp of the oil filter every 25 hours had been overdue by 20.9 hours. Insp of the transmission revealed that a 5 1/2 inch piece from the clutch drum ring separated which disengaged the main rotor from the eng resulting in the loss of main rotor RPM. Examination of the failed clutch drum ring revealed evidence to suggest that it failed due to fatigue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43CD
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 67 17016
- Airframe hours
- 3,463
- Engine
- Lycoming VO435A1F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Whirleybird Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Helicopter Charter Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 17, 1987 · 46 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 656 total · 483 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PEN, 5 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.