- Date
- December 15, 1996, 12:56 local (17:56 UTC)
- Place
- Lantana, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1200ZBell 47G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 3, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961215039369A
- Case key
- 38188
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
an undetermined throttle problem, which resulted in a stuck (binding) throttle; and inadequate remedial action by the pilot, which led to a hard landing and subsequent nose over.
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 stated that as he was descending on right base for landing, the throttle stuck full open, and the engine began to overspeed. He entered autorotation and turned into the wind. Reportedly, he did not initiate a deceleration (flare), and the helicopter collided with the ground in a nose-high attitude, bounced, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The helicopter was destroyed by a postcrash fire. No pre-accident deficiency was found during examination of the wreckage.
Factual narrative
On December 15, 1996, about 1256 eastern standard time, a Bell 47G, N1200Z, registered to Don l. Aircraft Inc., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, experienced a reported stuck throttle and engine overspeed while in the traffic pattern at Lantana, Florida. The pilot entered autorotation and crashed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was destroyed by a postcrash fire. The airline transport pilot and one passenger reported minor injuries. The flight originated about 10 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated that as he was descending on right base for landing, the throttle stuck and the engine started to overspeed. He entered autorotation and turned into the wind. He did not initiate a deceleration. The helicopter collided with the ground in a nose-high attitude, bounced, nosed over, and came to rest inverted.
Examination of the throttle assembly by the FAA revealed no deficiencies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1200Z
- Reported as
- Bell 47G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 100
- Airframe hours
- 243
- Engine
- Franklin 100Z1HV, 215 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald S. Lloyd
- Registered owner
- Don L Aircraft Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 16, 1996 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- LNA
- Airport
- LNA · Palm Beach County Park
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 600 in this make and model · 4,800 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI, 6 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 N1200Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.