- Date
- July 13, 1986, 07:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Chehalis, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N12848Bell 47G2A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860713033949A
- Case key
- 40442
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
During an aerial applications maneuver, a complete loss of power occurred. The power loss was caused by failure of the connecting rod bolt. The acft was too low for autorotation and the aircraft struck the ground tail low. The main rotor blade then struck the tail boom.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12848
- Reported as
- Bell 47G2A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2239
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-B1B3, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Waitsburg Helicopter Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 1, 1986 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- CLS · Chehalis, WA
- Destination
- Wildwood, WA
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 126 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °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 N12848 · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.