- Date
- May 15, 1982, 09:25 local (14:25 UTC)
- Place
- Osage Beech, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N208BBell 47G-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820515018819A
- Case key
- 72113
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
Shortly after the helicopter cleared the helipad the pilot noticed that although he had the cyclic positioned in the full forward position against the stop the airspeed was gradually decaying. The pilot then removed his seatbeat and moved forward. Along with continous changes of power this enabled the pilot to maintain flying speed with a noseup attitude. In the attempt to land at the helipad, which was adequate for normal operations but not meant for emergency operations, the pilot lost control of the helicopter and executed a 180 degree pedal turn. He then attempted to land in a small clear area across a highway from the helipad but failed to clear a guard rail with the tailrotor. The pilot bottomed the collective and departed the aircraft during the second contact with the ground. The helicopter exploded and slid down an embankment. Both the pilot and the operator concur that this accident occurred due to an aft center of gravity problem.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N208B
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 27
- Airframe hours
- 8,103
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1B, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- East Bank Co.
- Registered owner
- East Bank Co.
- Departed
- Osage Beech, MO
- Destination
- Osage Beech, MO
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
- 40
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 5,459 total · 881 in this make and model · 5,261 as pilot in command · 165 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 162 °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 N208B · 6
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.