Bell 47J N8412E
26 May 1996 · Lakeway, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 26 May 1996 at about 22:10 local time, a Bell 47J registered N8412E was involved in an accident near Lakeway, Texas, United States. 3 people were 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 22:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lakeway, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 30.3791, -97.9501
- Aircraft
- Bell 47J
- Registration
- N8412E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Austin → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW96LA229
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate prior to landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, while flying approximately 200 feet AGL over a lake, he 'felt a push/cross wind (wind shear).' He stated that, 'it felt as if it were pushing me into the ground.' He then lowered the collective and 'added' forward cyclic to increase forward airspeed. After selecting a landing site, the pilot attempted to control the descent but, 'nothing was working' and the helicopter 'was going down fast.' Just prior to landing, the pilot 'flared with collective full up to lighten the impact.' The tail boom was structurally damaged during the landing due to impact with a large rock adjacent to the landing site. The pilot reported 20 knot winds, gusting to 30 knots. He stated that he encountered a quartering head wind during his approach to the landing site. According to the manufacturer, the reported wind component encountered would not have exceeded the performance capability of the helicopter. According to the pilot, gross weight limitations were not exceeded during the flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Oct 1996 | Bell 47G-3B-1 | Fillmore, Utah, United States | Usfs | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Oct 1996 | Bell 47G-5A | King City, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Sep 1996 | Bell 47G-3B-1 | Rangely, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 1996 | Bell 47G-4A | Adel, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 Sep 1996 | Bell 47G-3B-1 | Borinquen | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Dec 1996 | Bell 47G | Pendleton, Oregon, United States | Wildhorse Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 1996 | Cessna T210L | Lonestar, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jan 1996 | Piper PA-28-160 | Decatur, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Jan 1996 | Piper PA-38-112 | Port Mansfield, Texas, United States | Flight Training Systems, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jan 1996 | Beechcraft 35-A33 | Houston, Texas, United States | Ray's Flying Service | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 1996 | Cessna T210N | Beaumont, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 1996 | Schweizer 269C | San Ygnacio, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |