Bell 47J N2838B
5 August 1988 · Dowagiac, Michigan, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 5 August 1988 at about 23:14 local time, a Bell 47J registered N2838B, operated by Chester Ruminer, was involved in an accident near Dowagiac, Michigan, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 23:14
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Dowagiac, Michigan, United States
- Coordinates
- 41.9792, -86.1106
- Aircraft
- Bell 47J
- Registration
- N2838B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Chester Ruminer
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI88DET05
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
FAILURE TO MAINTIAN ADEQUATE ROTOR RPM BY THE UNQUALIFIED PILOT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PRIVATE PILOT WITH AN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING WAS REPORTED TO BE ON HIS FIRST SELF-FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT IN THIS MAKE & MODEL OF HELICOPTER. HE REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKING OFF, HE FLEW ABOUT 1/2 MILE & STARTED A TURN, THEN THE ENGINE BEGAN LOSING POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER SETTLED INTO TREES AND WAS DAMAGED. THERE WERE INDICATIONS THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL PROVIDING POWER AS THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED SMALL TREES DURING THE LANDING. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS DATED 8/22/85. RAT NEST MATERIAL WAS FOUND IN THE AIR FILTER IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO ALMOST COMPLETELY BLOCK THE FLOW OF AIR. ALSO, THE PILOT'S LAST MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS DATED 1/2/86. AUTO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS & CARBURETOR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Oct 1988 | Bell 47G-3B2 | Cottonwood Canyon, Nevada, United States | Bureau of Land Management | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jan 1988 | Bell 47G-2A1 | San Diego, California, United States | Atunera Maya SA de CV. | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Jun 1988 | Bell 47G | Terry, Montana, United States | High Country Helicopters | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Dec 1988 | Bell 47-D1 | Allen, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 May 1988 | Bell 47G-2A | Midland, Michigan, United States | Agri-Helicopter, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 25 Aug 1988 | Bell 47G | N Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jan 1988 | Cessna 172P | Jenison, Michigan, United States | Dave | No injuries | - |
| 4 Feb 1988 | Beechcraft A36 | Pontiac, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Oct 1988 | Piper PA-31-350 | Big Rapids, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Feb 1988 | Cessna 152 | Lansing, Michigan, United States | Carlson Aviation Service, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 1988 | Cessna 172F | Brighton, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Nov 1988 | Cessna 150J | Carson City, Michigan, United States | Vandenburg, Jerome A. | No injuries | - |