- Date
- December 2, 1988, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Russell, MA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N163BBell 47D1
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881202052349A
- Case key
- 36247
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A pilot induced low rotor RPM condition, followed by blade flapping as the main rotor blade contacted the tail of the helicopter.
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 bell 47D1 was on a solo x-country flight with a commercial rated (non-rotorcraft rated) pilot who was working on his rotorcraft rating. The helicopter crashed in a wooded area with debris spread along the flight path for over 1/4 mile. Post crash examination showed that one stabilizer bar was missing from the rotor head and had failed opposite the direction of rotation. The stabilizer bar was not recovered. There was evidence of blade flapping and low rotor RPM conditions. No evidence of a failure on the flight control system, other than the missing stabilizer control bar was found. No evidence of a engine failure was noted, although conditions were present for the formation of carburetor ice.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N163B
- Reported as
- Bell 47D1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 17
- Engine
- Franklin 6V-335-A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Associated Air Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 18, 1988 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- BAF · Westfield, MA
- Destination
- GBR · Grt. Barrington, MA
- Airport
- Unknown
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
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,218 total · 42 in this make and model · 21 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Wind
- 300° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft unknown
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BAF, 8 nm away
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 N163B · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.