Bell 47G-3B-1 N9276Z

Summary

On 15 June 1982 at about 17:25 local time, a Bell 47G-3B-1 registered N9276Z, operated by Evergreen Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Kittanning, Pennsylvania, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

15 June 1982 at 17:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Kittanning, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Bell 47G-3B-1

Registration

N9276Z

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Evergreen Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kittanning → Kittanning

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC82FGM11

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A POWERLINE PATROL FLIGHT WITH THREE OCCUPANTS ON BOARD. WHILE PROCEEDING ALONG THE POWERLINE WITH A TAILWIND, THE PILOT STARTED TO CLIMB OVER A HILL. HE STATED TO THE PASSENGERS THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO OUT CLIMB THE HILL, THEN CIRCLED TO THE RIGHT AND GAINED MORE AIRSPEED TO TOP THE HILL. AFTER TOPPING THE HILL, HE STARTED DOWN THE OTHER SIDE WHILE TO THE LEFT AND ABOUT 10 FT ABOVE THE POWERLINE WITH AN AIRSPEED OF 0 TO 20 KTS. ABOUT 1/4 MILE DOWN THE HILL AND AT 200 FT LOWER ELEVATION, THE HELICOPTER APPROACHED ANOTHER LINE THAT CROSSED OVER THE LINE THAT WAS BEING PATROLLED. AT ABOUT THAT TIME, THE HELICOPTER ENTERED A STEEP TURN OVER THE LINE BEING PATROLLED AND BELOW THE OTHER. THE HELICOPTER AVOIDED THE LINES, BUT CRASHED. THE TRANSMISSION SHEARED DURING IMPACT, MOVED FORWARD, AND CAUSED FATAL INJURY TO THE PILOT. THE PASSENGERS SUSPECTED A LOSS OF POWER, BUT NO PRECRASH FAILURE WAS FOUND. AC61-13B WARNS OF POSSIBLE "SETTLING WITH POWER" IN STEEP POWER APPROACHES NEAR ZERO AIRSPEED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.