Bell 47J-2 N73201

Summary

On 24 October 1987 at about 18:06 local time, a Bell 47J-2 registered N73201, operated by Michaelson, Harlyn, was involved in an accident near Key Colony Bch., Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

24 October 1987 at 18:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Key Colony Bch., Florida, United States

Coordinates

24.7204, -81.0209

Aircraft

Bell 47J-2

Registration

N73201

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Michaelson, Harlyn

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA88LA018

Nobody was 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 PLT STATED THAT HE DID NOT CHECK THE FUEL SYSTEM FOR CONTAMINATES AFTER REFUELING BUT AN EIGHTEEN MINUTE FLT AFTER REFUELING WAS UNEVENTFUL. HE THEN LANDED THE HELICOPTER, REMAINED ON THE GROUND APRX 20 MINUTES, PERFORMED A WALK AROUND INSP, AGAIN WITHOUT CHECKING THE FUEL SYSTEM, THEN DEPARTED ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT ALONG THE SHORELINE. WHILE IN CRUISE FLT AT APRX 500 FT THE ENG QUIT. AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING IN THE WATER WAS PERFORMED WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER BUT THE PLT THEN ROLLED IT TO THE RT TO STOP THE ROTATION OF THE BLADES TO EXIT FROM ACFT. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. ACCORDING TO A MECHANIC THE ENG QUIT DUE TO WATER AND FUEL CONTAMINATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.