Bell 47G-4A N4749R

Summary

On 13 April 1983 at about 16:15 local time, a Bell 47G-4A registered N4749R, operated by Appalachian Power Company, was involved in an accident near Charleston, West Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

13 April 1983 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Charleston, West Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Kanawha (CRW)

Coordinates

38.3701, -81.5604

Aircraft

Bell 47G-4A

Registration

N4749R

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Appalachian Power Company

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Roanoke → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL83LA160

Nobody was injured.

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

DURING AN APPROACH TO LAND, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AT APRX 500 FT AGL. THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING, HE HAD TO MANEUVER TO AVOID TREES & A RIDGE IN ORDER TO LAND IN A SUITABLE AREA. DURING THIS TIME, ROTOR RPM DROPPED & A CRASH LANDING OCCURRED. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE TIMING GEAR, PN 67687, HAD FAILED & A TOOTH HAD SEPARATED. ALSO, THE WOODRUFF KEY, PN STD-858, HAD FAILED. A METALURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE ON BOTH PARTS. FAILURE OF THE TIMING GEAR ORIGINATED AT AN INNER CORNER OR THE GEAR KEYWAY. THE ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED 613 HRS OF FLT TIME SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.