- Date
- June 25, 1988, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Newburyport, MA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N51711Bell 47J2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 29, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880625023779A
- Case key
- 36172
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
The helicopter departed runway 10 at plum island airport, turned left over the plum island river and shortly thereafter the engine quit. The pilot stated that no warning was noted and a check of the instruments indicated no problems. He further stated that the engine made no unusual noises. The helicopter was autorotated into water. The occupants were rescued by a private citizen. Examination of the helicopter after the accident revealed nothing that would have caused the engine to fail. Witnesses noted no gasoline in or on the water. Examination of the acft later showed about 1 gal of fuel in the rt tank and an undetermined amount of fuel and salt water in the left tank.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51711
- Reported as
- Bell 47J2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2629
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Plum Island Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Air Plum Island
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 8, 1988
- Departed
- Newburyport, MA
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,845 total · 87 in this make and model · 37 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 75 °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 N51711 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.