- Date
- April 20, 1987, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bethel, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N59321Bell 47G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870420010689A
- Case key
- 30631
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.
Loss of control - in flight
Directional control - not maintainedCause
Remedial action - delayedCause
In flight collision with terrain/water
Analysis
The student pilot lost directional control of the helicopter and as the instructor pilot attempted to regain control, the main rotor blades struck the ground causing substantial damage to the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59321
- Reported as
- Bell 47G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5018
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-81A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Dwight D.Miller
- Registered owner
- Dwight D Miller
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Bethel, PA
- Airport
- 8NI · Grimes, runway 11, 2,860 × 180 ft, grass/turf
N59321Registered now · Bell-Carson 47G-SUPER C-4Airframe modelBell-Carson 47G-SUPER C-4Engine modelFranklin 6VS-335 series
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
- 31
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,080 total · 610 in this make and model · 925 as pilot in command · 235 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.