Bell 47-G2 N90836
17 January 1990 · Lafayette, Indiana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 January 1990 at about 19:15 local time, a Bell 47-G2 registered N90836, operated by Townsend, John R., was involved in an accident near Lafayette, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lafayette, Indiana, United States
- Nearest airport
- Aretz Field (3AR)
- Coordinates
- 40.4204, -86.7701
- Aircraft
- Bell 47-G2
- Registration
- N90836
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Townsend, John R.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI90LA067
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
THE HELICOPTER STUDENT'S IPROPER USE OF THE COLLECTIVE PITCH LEVER DURING THE LANDING PHASE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT'S LACK OF TOTAL EXPEREINCE, THE RELATIVELY HIGH WIND, AND INADVERTENT LIFTOFF OF THE HELICOPTER WERE FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PRIVATE PILOT RATED HELICOPTER STUDENT WAS PERFORMING THE FIRST LANDING ON HIS FIRST SOLO HELICOPTER FLIGHT, WHILE HIS INSTRUCTOR OBSERVED FROM THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER STUDENT REPORTED THAT HE WAS LANDING INTO 15 KNOT WINDS, AND STATED THAT THE 'AIRCRAFT WAS SET TO THE GROUND SLOWLY...(HOWEVER) I DID NOT PLACE (COLLECTIVE) FIRMLY ON THE FLOOR. AIRCRAFT WAS LIGHT ON SKIDS AIRCRAFT ROTATED LEFT...OVER CONTROL (RESULTED IN A) TAIL STRIKE...LOSS OF ANTI-TORQUE CONTROL...' THE HELICOPTER ROTATED 360 DEGREES BEFORE THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER CAME TO A REST ON ITS SIDE. THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK RECORDS INDICATED 3,693 HOURS TOTAL FLIGHT TIME, INCLUDING 15 HOURS OF ROTORCRAFT EXPERIENCE. THE 15 HOURS OF ROTORCRAFT FLIGHT TIME WERE ACQUIRED IN THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WITHIN THE 30 DAYS PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov 1990 | Bell 47J-2 | Gatlinburg, Tennessee, United States | Pigeon Forge Helicopters, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 May 1990 | Bell 47G | Riverside, California, United States | Riverside Air Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Jun 1990 | Bell 47G-3B1 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States | Badger Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 3 |
| 2 Apr 1990 | Bell 47G-3B-2 | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States | Western Helicopter Service | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 1990 | Bell 47-G3-B | Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States | Firefly, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 1990 | Bell 47G-3B1 | Canon City, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jun 1990 | Cessna 152 | Hagerstown, Indiana, United States | Brookville Airpark | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Apr 1990 | Nihon YS-11A-600F | West Lafayette, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Nov 1990 | Cessna 210G | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States | Larry E. Bailey | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Jan 1990 | Cessna 150F | Elkhart, Indiana, United States | VFR Fliers, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jan 1990 | Cessna 152 | Rochester, Indiana, United States | Skyways, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 1990 | Cessna 150H | Sullivan, Indiana, United States | Grey Eagle Flight Training | No injuries | - |