- Date
- January 1, 2021, 13:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Marana, AZ · Airport
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N74823Bell 47D
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20210101001599A
- Case key
- 102484
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's failure to maintain helicopter control, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The helicopter pilot reported that, while hover taxing on the taxiway, a Cessna airplane taxied from the ramp onto the same taxiway and turned toward and approached the helicopter. The helicopter pilot assumed that the Cessna would turn onto another taxiway toward the runway, however the Cessna continued toward the helicopter. The helicopter pilot stated that he went into a vertical lift, but "due to low rotor RPM the helicopter went into a loss of control spin". The helicopter landed hard to the left of the taxiway, substantially damaging the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74823
- Reported as
- Bell 47D (1)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 270
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 7,526
- Engine
- Franklin 6V4 SERIES, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 24, 2020
- Departed
- KRYN · Tucson, AZ
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- KAVQ · Marana Rgnl
- Equipment
- 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
- 63
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Last flight review
- May 30, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,400 total · 32 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 65 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KAVQ
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.2 MB in all.
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 N74823 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.