- Date
- September 29, 1996, 12:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Borinquen, PR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1397XBell 47G-3B-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960929045529A
- Case key
- 38090
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 failed to maintain control of the aircraft while hover taxing. Factors in this accident were wind gusts and a tailwind.
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 had landed in the grass near runway 8, turned left to hover taxi, which resulted in the helicopter hovering with a 20 knot tail wind. The helicopter was hover taxiing about 18 inches above the ground, when the left front landing skid struck the ground, resulting in the main rotor blades striking the ground. This was the pilot's first solo flight as a student helicopter pilot, after being endorsed for solo flight the day before the accident. The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 070 degrees at 20 knots with gusts to 25 knots.
Factual narrative
On September 29, 1996, about 1245 eastern daylight time, a Bell 47G-3B-1 helicopter, N1397X, registered to a private owner, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91, personal flight, crashed in the vicinity of Borinquen, Puerto Rico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The private pilot was not injured.
The pilot had landed in the grass near runway 8. He turned left to hover taxi which resulted in the helicopter hovering with a 20 knot tail wind. The helicopter was hover taxiing about 18 inches above the ground, when the left front landing skid struck the ground, resulting in the main rotor blades striking the ground. This was the pilot's, first solo flight, as a student helicopter pilot, after being endorsed for solo flight the day before the accident.
According to the FAA Inspector's statement, the pilot stated, "...a gust of wind hit the helicopter causing the left front section of the skid to hit the ground and break...." The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 070 degrees, at 20 knots with gusts to 25 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1397X
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6585
- Airframe hours
- 6,218
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-D1, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gilberto R. Santiago
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1996
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- BQN · Rafael Hernandez
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
- 47
- Certificates
- Private, Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 45 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N1397X · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.