Bell 47G-4 N87623

Summary

On 11 April 1982 at about 21:15 local time, a Bell 47G-4 registered N87623, operated by North American Corp, was involved in an accident near St Genevieve, Missouri, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

11 April 1982 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

St Genevieve, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 47G-4

Registration

N87623

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

North American Corp

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jackson → St Claire

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MKC82FCA08

2 people were seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ABOUT 40 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THERE WAS A DROP IN OIL PRESSURE FOLLOWED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BY AN ENGINE FAILURE. THE ENGINE FAILURE OCCURRED OVER A WOODED AREA. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SMALL CLEARING, BUT THE HELICOPTER STRUCK TREES SHORT OF THE OPENING. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NO. 5 CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED AT THE CRANKSHAFT END. IT WAS NOTED THAT A ROD CAP BOLT HAD BROKEN, THE CAP HAD STRAIGHTENED OUT, AND THE ROD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT. A LARGE HOLE WAS FOUND IN THE CRANKCASE AND THE OIL TANK WAS EMPTY. HOWEVER, OIL WAS NOTED INSIDE THE ENGINE AND ON ALL BEARINGS AND JOURNALS EXCEPT THE NO. 5 CONNECTING ROD. ALSO, ALL MAIN BEARINGS AND ALL ROD BEARINGS AND JOURNALS, EXCEPT NO. 5, WERE NORMAL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.