Bell 47D1 N74823

Summary

On 11 August 2015 at about 19:00 local time, a Bell 47D1 registered N74823, operated by Gilliland, Kenneth L., was involved in an accident near Clanton, Alabama, United States. 2 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.

Date

11 August 2015 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Clanton, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Chilton County (02A)

Coordinates

32.8511, -86.6081

Aircraft

Bell 47D1

Registration

N74823

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1953

Engines

1

Operator

Gilliland, Kenneth L.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Clanton → Clanton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA15CA221

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's abrupt cyclic and collective inputs during the approach to land which resulted in abnormal runway contact and a subsequent tail boom strike by the main rotor blades.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that while conducting an approach to landing, terminating at a three foot hover, the student pilot "pulled back on the cyclic and dumped collective", which caused the main rotor blades to contact the tail boom after the helicopter impacted the ground "hard". The flight instructor reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and to the empennage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.