Bell 47 N908B
12 May 1989 · Shelbyville, Tennessee, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 12 May 1989 at about 20:00 local time, a Bell 47 registered N908B, operated by L. Lanier, was involved in an accident near Shelbyville, Tennessee, 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 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Shelbyville, Tennessee, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.4892, -86.4408
- Aircraft
- Bell 47
- Registration
- N908B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- L. Lanier
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ATL89DLT03
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
FAILURE IN THE ROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO PERFORM AN AUTOROTATION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS ENGAGED IN AERIAL APPLICATION. DURING A PROCEDURE TURN AROUND THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSIVE NOISE & ENGINE RPM EXCEEDED ROTOR RPM. THE PILOT REDUCED THE THROTTLE & TRIED TO ENTER AN AUTOROTATION. ROTOR RPM HAD DECAYED & A HARD LANDING RESULTED. MOST PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE LOSS OF ROTOR RPM WAS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE ENGINE & THE MAIN ROTOR FOR UNKNOWN REASONS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Aug 1989 | Bell 47G-2A-1 | Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 May 1989 | Bell 47L | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | Allied Helicopters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 26 May 1989 | Bell 47D-1 | Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Oct 1989 | Bell 47G | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Nov 1989 | Bell 47G/TOMCAT MK5 | Elberton, Georgia, United States | Ag-Rotor Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 Oct 1989 | Bell 47G-2A-1 | Plymouth, Indiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 1989 | Cessna 152 | Jackson, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 1989 | Cessna 150M | Knoxville, Tennessee, United States | L. J. Morse | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 1989 | Cessna 210C | Millington, Tennessee, United States | Howard A. Daniels | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1989 | Beechcraft A23-19 | Gallatin, Tennessee, United States | Shirley Brown | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 1989 | Piper PA-28-181 | Cleveland, Tennessee, United States | Cleveland Aero Club, Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Jul 1989 | Pitts S-1 | Butler, Tennessee, United States | Frank LON Tester | Minor injuries | - |