Bell 47G-2 N993B

Summary

On 10 May 2006 at about 16:13 local time, a Bell 47G-2 registered N993B, operated by Continental Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Rosenberg, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 May 2006 at 16:13

Classification

Accident

Location

Rosenberg, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.5731, -95.8017

Aircraft

Bell 47G-2

Registration

N993B

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Continental Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Guy → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW06CA123

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilots encounter with loss of tail rotor effectiveness during an aerial application flight. A contributing factor was the gusty winds.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 5,740-hour commercial pilot lost control of the single-engine helicopter while maneuvering during an aerial application flight. The pilot stated, that he made a right turn into the wind and that a gust of wind "must have hit the tail causing him to lose tail-rotor authority." The pilot further stated that he corrected with full left pedal; however, the helicopter touched down and the left skid dug into the soft ground causing the aircraft to roll onto the left side. At the time of the accident, the wind was reported from 240 degrees at 4 knots, gusting to 12 knots. The pilot reported having accumulated 70 hours in the same make and model. He added that there were no anomalies with the helicopter prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.