- Date
- October 13, 1991, 08:25 local (12:25 UTC)
- Place
- La Belle, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1201WBell 47G-5
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911013046479A
- Case key
- 33021
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 pilot in command's improper aft application of cyclic control during an autorotative landing to an open field, resulting in the main rotor blades colliding with the tail boom. Contributing to the accident was the in flight failure of the outer bearing of the lower gearcase input quill assembly.
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 in cruise flight at 200 feet AGL when he heard a loud bang and a roaring noise. The pilot conducted an autorotation to an open field. The helicopter touched down in a tail low attitude, nosed over and slid forward. The pilot stated, 'I pulled a little too much aft cyclic and the main rotor blades collided with the tail boom. Investigation of the airframe system failure revealed the outer bearing of the lower gearcase input quill assembly failed for undetermined reasons.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1201W
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-5
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 7819
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 137
- Operator
- Colony Services, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Colony Services, Inc.
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
- 50
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 60 in this make and model · 6,500 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N1201W · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.