Bell BHT-47-G3B2A N47SN
27 March 2003 · Lexington, Kentucky, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 27 March 2003 at about 21:15 local time, a Bell BHT-47-G3B2A registered N47SN was involved in an accident near Lexington, Kentucky, 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 21:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lexington, Kentucky, United States
- Nearest airport
- Private Helipad in Lexington (NONE)
- Coordinates
- 38.0392, -84.6089
- Aircraft
- Bell BHT-47-G3B2A
- Registration
- N47SN
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lexington → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- IAD03LA042
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while maneuvering to land after a loss of engine power. A factor was the loss of engine power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
About 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot noticed an occasional "shuffle", or what felt like an "out of balance condition", and decided to return to land. As he approached the landing site, a dolly about 15 feet away, the engine lost power and the helicopter settled to the ground with the engine running. The pilot checked all the gauges for any abnormal indication, and the engine responded to throttle travel, so he lifted to a hover and started to move toward the dolly. When the helicopter was halfway over the dolly, there were more oscillations and it became harder to control. The helicopter then started to drift to the left, and the engine lost power. The pilot was unable to stop the drift or the descent. As the helicopter touched down, the left skid collapsed and the helicopter slid, rolled onto its left side, and came to rest against a fence. Examination of the helicopter revealed no mechanical deficiencies.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell BHT-47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Sep 1998 | Bell BHT-47-G3B1 | Buckhead Ridge, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Nov 2003 | Beechcraft J35 | Somerset, Kentucky, United States | Mock Air | Fatal | 3 |
| 27 Apr 2003 | Starnes QUICKIE Q-200 | Henderson, Kentucky, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 30 Nov 2003 | Cessna C172R | Lexington, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Dec 2003 | Barness PULSAR I | Bardstown, Kentucky, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 2 Sep 2003 | Fairchild DORNIER 328-300 | Hebron, Kentucky, United States | Atlantic Coast Airlines | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Jul 2003 | Beltram GLASAIR-TD | London, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |