- Date
- April 17, 1989, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N342LBell 47D1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 2, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890417008279A
- Case key
- 32426
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 unqualified persons failure to maintain clearance from the fence. Pressure induced by others, lack of experience, and over confidence in personal ability are contributing factors to this 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 private plt with no helicopter rating landed within the confines of a federal correctional center for the purpose of assisting a convicted drug smuggler confined to a life term to escape. During lift-off, the tail rotor struck a concertina wire-topped fence & crashed. Both occupants were arrested & transported to the prison ward of a local hospital. NTSB form 6120.1, report of acft accident was not returned by the plt to the ntsb's Miami regional office.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N342L
- Reported as
- Bell 47D1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 611
- Engine
- Franklin 6VS-335, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Stevens, Charlie C.
- Registered owner
- Stevens, Charles C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TMB · 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,600 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TMB, 2 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 N342L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.