- Date
- November 10, 1988, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Champion, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2ARBell 47G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881110050319A
- Case key
- 36332
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
The pilot was unable to sustain flight due to a severe downdraft accompanied by a power loss at a low altitude.
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
Pilot said that he experienced a severe downdraft and a power loss during a power line patrol flight at an altitude of about 200 feet. The pilot attempted to autorotate to a landing but impacted terrain and trees. Local winds were reported at 35 KTS gusting to 45 KTS. Post accident test run of the eng failed to reveal any mechanical failures/malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2AR
- Reported as
- Bell 47G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 569
- Airframe hours
- 3,594
- Engine
- Franklin 6V-350-A, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aviation Services Unlimited
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 1988 · 33 hours before
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
- 56
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 5,800 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 215° at 35 knots, gusting 45
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °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 N2AR · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.