Bell 47G-4A N4086C
30 May 2006 · Sheridan, Arkansas, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 30 May 2006 at about 22:35 local time, a Bell 47G-4A registered N4086C was involved in an accident near Sheridan, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously 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 22:35
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sheridan, Arkansas, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.3283, -92.3508
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-4A
- Registration
- N4086C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Sheridan → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DFW06CA142
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent loss of engine power. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The 15,000-hour commercial pilot reported in a telephone interview that he departed a timber tract with 15 gallons of fuel on-board en route to another tract located about 13 miles away. When the turbine-powered helicopter was approximately three miles short of his destination, while at an altitude of 600 feet above ground level (AGL), the engine lost power. The pilot entered an autorotation for a forced landing to an open field. Examination of the aerial application helicopter at the accident site revealed that no fuel was found in the fuel nozzle and less than three gallons of fuel was found in the fuel tanks. The turbine engine was removed from the helicopter and shipped to the factory for a detailed examination and test run. A written statement provided by the supervising FAA inspector, who witnessed the engine examination and test run, stated that the engine started and ran for an hour and twenty minutes with no discrepancies noted.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Sep 2006 | Bell 47G-2 | Hayden, Alabama, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 May 2006 | Bell 47G-2 | Rosenberg, Texas, United States | Continental Helicopters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 2006 | Bell 47-B3 | Dennison, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2006 | Bell 47G-5 | Sanborn, North Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 2006 | Bell 47G | Angels Camp, California, United States | Arrow Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 23 May 2006 | Bell 47-G5 | Soledad, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jun 2006 | McClung CHRISTIAN EAGLE I | Pocahontas, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jun 2006 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Minturn, Arkansas, United States | Anthony G. Alls | No injuries | - |
| 19 Dec 2006 | Beechcraft A36 | Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Apr 2006 | Grumman-Schweizer G-164B | De Witt, Arkansas, United States | Darren L. Voumard | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2006 | Piper J3C-65 | Stugartt, Arkansas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Mar 2006 | Grumman-Schweizer G-164B | Texarkana, Arkansas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |