- Date
- March 18, 1982, 10:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Emmaus, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8565FBell 47J-2A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820318004369A
- Case key
- 70591
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
While maneuvering at approximately 200 feet AGL for an aerial photography mission a sudden and complete power failure occurred. The pilot initiated autorotation procedures and set a course for the only open area, a small field with a 15 degree upslope. A flare was performed downwind and the aircraft landed hard. The engine teardown examination did not reveal any explanation for the loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8565F
- Reported as
- Bell 47J-2A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3712
- Airframe hours
- 3,118
- Engine
- Lycoming VP-540-B1B3, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Sky King Airways, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Sky King Airways, Inc.
- Departed
- Allentown, PA
- Destination
- Allentown, PA
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
- 36
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 8,173 total · 8,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
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 N8565F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.