- Date
- April 29, 1989, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Milton-Freewtr, OR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4072GBell 47G3B2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890429010579A
- Case key
- 41002
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion from an inadequate supply of fuel.
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 plt stated that the eng lost power during a procedure turn-around & that insufficient speed & altitude were available to prevent a hard autorotative landing. During touchdown, the main rotor severed the tailboom. Only about 1/2 gal of fuel was remaining in the intact fuel system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4072G
- Reported as
- Bell 47G3B2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6702
- Airframe hours
- 6,516
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Gary Knight
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 12, 1988 · 106 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,800 total · 450 in this make and model · 7,400 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.