Bell 47-D1 N339MC
26 May 1991 · Sun, Louisiana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 26 May 1991 at about 22:00 local time, a Bell 47-D1 registered N339MC, operated by Cook Aviation, Inc., was involved in an accident near Sun, Louisiana, United States. 3 people were 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 22:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sun, Louisiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 30.6601, -89.8993
- Aircraft
- Bell 47-D1
- Registration
- N339MC
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Cook Aviation, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Observation
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW91DRD05
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
THE TOTAL LOSS OF POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS AND THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM. A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT HAD JUST DEPARTED A LOCAL FAIR GROUNDS WITH TWO PAYING PASSENGERS ON BOARD. AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET, A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS EXPERIENCED. THE PILOT INITIATED A 180 DEGREE AUTOROTATION IN ORDER TO CLEAR THE POPULATED AREA. THE AVAILABLE TERRAIN FOR LANDING WAS NOT LEVEL. DURING THE TOUCHDOWN, ROTOR RPM DECREASED DUE TO THE DIFFICULTY OF CONDUCTING A SLOPE LANDING. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SEVERED THE TAILBOOM OF THE HELICOPTER
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Oct 1991 | Bell 47D-1 | Rome, Georgia, United States | Silver Hawk Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 1991 | Bell 47G-5A | Pearsall, Texas, United States | Tiller Helicopter Service, Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 May 1991 | Bell 47G-3B-1 | Malott, Washington, United States | Cascade Helicopter | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1991 | Bell 47G | Kettleman City, California, United States | Shafter Aviation, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Sep 1991 | Bell 47G-3B-2 | Chula Vista, California, United States | K & L Helicopters | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 May 1991 | Bell 47-G3B1 | Hughesville, Pennsylvania, United States | Agricultural Helicopter Serv. | Serious injuries | - |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 1991 | Maule M-7-235 | Cottonport, Louisiana, United States | MAX Merrick | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 1991 | Raven RX7 | Gonzales, Louisiana, United States | Halone M. Galvin | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Aug 1991 | Cessna T188C | Paulina, Louisiana, United States | Gulf Aire Enterprises, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 1991 | Cessna A188B | Patterson, Louisiana, United States | Blanco Aviation, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 1991 | Cessna 177B | Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States | Gaylin M. Allen | No injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 1991 | Grumman G-164A | Bonita, Louisiana, United States | Arkla Flyers, Inc. | No injuries | - |