Bell 47G3-B1 N80711

Summary

On 1 June 1983 at about 22:00 local time, a Bell 47G3-B1 registered N80711 was involved in an accident near Devils Tower, Wyoming, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

1 June 1983 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Devils Tower, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

44.5997, -104.7302

Aircraft

Bell 47G3-B1

Registration

N80711

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN83LA132

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

THE ACFT CRASH LANDED IN TREES AFTER THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING USED IN AERIAL APPLICATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE OPERATION WAS BEING DONE IN 8 MINUTE SEGMENTS. EVERY 8 MINUTES THE HELICOPTER LANDED FOR A RELOAD OF HERBICIDE. AT ABOUT 1430-1500 HOURS THE ACFT WAS REFUELED WITH 29 GALLONS OF 100 OCTANE FUEL. AT 1600 HOURS THE ENGINE CEASED OPERATION 3 MINUTES AFTER A TAKEOFF. THE ACFT WAS AT 50 FT AGL GOING ABOUT 30 MPH. THERE WAS NO CLEAR AREA FOR A LANDING SO THE PILOT AUTOROTATED INTO TREES. THE ACFT HAS AN ENDURANCE OF ABOUT ONE AND ONE HALF HOURS. DURING THE FIRST INTERVIEW THE PILOT SAID THE ACFT RAN OUT OF FUEL. NO FUEL WAS ABOARD THE ACFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT LATER FOUND AN AN FITTING WAS LOOSE ON THE GAS TANK SUMP DRAIN. HE SAID IT WAS NOT LEAKING WHEN THE ACFT WAS REFUELED. THE PILOT FOUND AN AREA OF LEAKED FUEL WHICH HE ESTIMATED AT 5 GALLONS NEAR THE SUMP DRAIN. THE ACFT HAS ONLY ONE FUEL TANK AND IT CONTAINS 2 UNUSABLE GALLONS OF FUEL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.