- Date
- April 12, 1990, 01:45 local (06:45 UTC)
- Place
- Harrisburg, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4779UBell 47G-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 34958
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
Failure of the generator, and failure of the pilot to maintain rotor RPM.
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 said that while flying at low altitude over a peach orchard to prevent frost damage, the instrument panel lights dimmed. Also, he reported that with the restricted instrument visibility, the helicopter 'got behind the power curve' and the rotor RPM decayed. Subsequently, a run-on landing was made, and the helicopter was damaged. A post-accident investigation revealed the generator had failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4779U
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 622
- Airframe hours
- 1,450
- Engine
- Franklin 6VS-335-A, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 137
- Operator
- Barr, Donald M
- Registered owner
- Barr, Don M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 1, 1989 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- Harrisburg, AR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,161 total · 1,722 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg