Bell 47G4 N477JM
11 October 1990 · Merced, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 11 October 1990 at about 17:58 local time, a Bell 47G4 registered N477JM, operated by John W. Myers, was involved in an accident near Merced, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:58
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Merced, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 37.3505, -120.4199
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G4
- Registration
- N477JM
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- John W. Myers
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dawn
- NTSB number
- LAX91LA008
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
AFTER WASHING THE HELICOPTER THE PILOT TOOK-OFF ON A BUSINESS FLIGHT OVER HIS RANCH. A GROUND WITNESS HEARD THE ENGINE STOP AND OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER ENTER AN AUTOROTATIVE DESCENT. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE WITNESS ESTIMATED THE HELICOPTERS ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN HE FIRST OBSERVED IT. POST ACCIDENT EXAM OF THE HELICOPTER AND ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47G4 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Apr 1991 | Bell 47G4 | Corpus Christi, Texas, United States | W. J. Tiller | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Feb 1983 | Bell 47G4 | Five Points, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 1982 | Bell 47G4 | Madison, Florida, United States | Stephen R. Stout | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Mar 1979 | Bell 47G4 | Russellville, Kentucky, United States | Townsend Tree | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 2002 | Bell 47G4 | Grand Lake, Louisiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 1978 | Bell 47G4 | Scipio, Indiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Apr 1990 | Cessna 180 | Soledad, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 1990 | Cessna 150 | Riverside, California, United States | PAR Flight | No injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 1990 | Piper PA46 | Paso Robles, California, United States | Piper Aircraft Corp. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Oct 1990 | Cessna 182M | Bakersfield, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 1990 | Piper J-3 | Creston, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Oct 1990 | Piper PA-28-140 | Agua Dulce, California, United States | R.i. Flying Club | Serious injuries | - |