# NTSB NYC03LA069: Bell 47D, N74120, Princetown, NY, March 23, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 23, 2003, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC) - Place: Princetown, NY - Coordinates: 42.77639, -74.036392 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.7764&lon=-74.0364&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56662 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC03LA069 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56662/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC03LA069 ## Probable cause The student's failure to maintain control while executing a takeoff to a hover, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action. A factor in the accident was the muddy ground. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, takeoff - dynamic rollover - not corrected, dual student (cause) - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, takeoff - aborted - terrain condition - grass - terrain condition - muddy (contributing factor) ## Analysis The instructor had the student conduct approximately 18 takeoff and landings. Each was executed to and from a hover, and the student had difficulty maintaining rotor RPM during the maneuvers. The helicopter then departed, and flew to a private heliport. The student completed an "approach to the ground," and the instructor asked him to practice hover taxiing, before terminating the flight. As the student started to apply collective, the instructor looked inside to check rotor RPM. When he looked back outside, the helicopter was in a nose high, right side low attitude. The instructor lowered the collective and applied full left cyclic, but the roll to the right continued. The main-rotor blades impacted the ground, and the helicopter came to rest. The instructor added that during all the flights and accident sequence, he did not experience any mechanical problems with the helicopter. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the rear of the right skid was in an area of mud. ## Factual narrative On March 23, 2003, about 1215 eastern standard time, a Bell 47D, N74120, was substantially damaged during takeoff at a private heliport near Princetown, New York. The certified flight instructor was not injured, and the student pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight. No flight plan was filed, and the flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the instructor, the helicopter was kept in a hangar at the student's house. The instructor preflighted the helicopter, checked weather and NOTAM's, and then boarded, with the student occupying the right seat. During the first of three flights, the student conducted upper air training, and then flew to a private airstrip for fuel. During the second flight, the student conducted some traffic pattern training, and then flew to Duanesburg Airport (4B1), Duanesburg, New York, to practice takeoffs and landings. The instructor had the student conduct approximately 18 takeoff and landings. Each was executed to and from a hover, and the student had difficulty maintaining rotor RPM during the maneuvers. They then departed, and flew back to the student's house. The student completed an "approach to the ground," and the instructor asked him to practice hover taxiing, before terminating the flight. As the student started to apply collective, the instructor looked inside to check rotor RPM. When he looked back outside, the helicopter was in a nose high, right side low attitude. The instructor lowered the collective and applied full left cyclic, but the roll to the right continued. The main-rotor blades impacted the ground, and the helicopter came to rest. The instructor added that during all three flights, and accident sequence, he did not experience any mechanical problems with the helicopter. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the rear of the right skid was in an area of mud. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N74120](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N74120), registered now, S/N WH5005, built 1949 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Bell 47D - Registry model: [Bell 47D1](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-47d1) (registry code 1180802) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Franklin 6V4 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-6v4-series) (registry code 27033, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: WH5005 - Engines: Franklin 6V4-178-B32 178 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Millenium Helicopters, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 16, 2003, 8 hours before - Departed: NONE, Princetown, NY - Destination: NONE ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 47; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial, private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review March 30, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 1,930 total, 30 in this make and model, 1,807 as pilot in command, 58 in the last 90 days, 16 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; injuries: minor; seat: left ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 280° at 10 knots, gusting 22 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,200 ft overcast - Temperature: 43 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 29.89 inHg - Observed at: SCH, 8 nm away ## Other investigations on N74120 (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX77FUA06](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX77FUA06-201381), Feb 23, 1977: Bell 47D-1 (N74120), Long Beach, CA, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.