- Date
- July 22, 1986, 20:00 local (Jul 23, 1986, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Burbank, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 fatal
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N1197WBell 47G-3B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860722053419A
- Case key
- 40449
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 had landed for reloading and was stationary with rotors idling. A ground loader person approached the helicopter over a small sandy knoll and was struck by the main rotor, sustaining fatal injury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1197W
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2951
- Airframe hours
- 5,652
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-B1A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Melvin W. Hood
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1986
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
- 53
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 10,541 total · 8,010 in this make and model · 7,610 as pilot in command · 280 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.