Bell 47-G5 N57RA

Summary

On 30 August 1996 at about 05:00 local time, a Bell 47-G5 registered N57RA was involved in an accident near Riverside, California, 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.

Date

30 August 1996 at 05:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Riverside, California, United States

Nearest airport

Riverside Municipal (RAL)

Coordinates

33.9001, -117.3990

Aircraft

Bell 47-G5

Registration

N57RA

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

LAX96LA326

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inaccurate perception of altitude which resulted in an improper flare and subsequent hard landing, and non use of the landing light.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was regaining night flying proficiency and was practicing a night autorotation landing from 3,000 feet without use of the aircraft's landing light. There was a full moon and the ground was visible. During the autorotation flare, he misjudged the aircraft's height above the surface, flared too high, and the helicopter dropped the last 4 or 5 feet. The aircraft landed hard with little energy in the main rotor and the rotor severed the tail boom. The pilot reported that he had no other night flying time in the previous 90 days, and that there were no mechanical malfunctions involved. He also said that the landing light was operational had he chosen to use it.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.