- Date
- July 20, 1986, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Portland, CT
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N59400Bell 47G-5A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860720034619A
- Case key
- 30390
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 climbing, shortly after takeoff, the eng quit for undetermined reasons. The pilot autorotated into a sand bank where the helicopter received substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59400
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-5A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 25138
- Airframe hours
- 7,597
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-B1A, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Petrie
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 8, 1986 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- Portland, CT
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,425 total · 975 in this make and model · 1,325 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °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 N59400 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.