Bell 47G3B2 N8169J
9 November 1993 · Toledo, Washington, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 9 November 1993 at about 17:00 local time, a Bell 47G3B2 registered N8169J, operated by Farm & Forest Helicopter SVC, was involved in an accident near Toledo, Washington, 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 17:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Toledo, Washington, United States
- Coordinates
- 46.4497, -122.7597
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G3B2
- Registration
- N8169J
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Farm & Forest Helicopter SVC
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA94LA029
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
TRANSMISSION SHEAR BOLTS FAILED CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER TO THE ROTOR SYSTEM, AND THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED UNSUITABLE TERRAIN DURING HIS AUTOROTATION ATTEMPT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
WHILE LIFTING CHRISTMAS TREES UNDER EXTERNAL LOAD CONDITIONS THE PILOT HEARD A CLUNK AND EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. HE ATTEMPTED AN AUTOROTATION FROM 40 TO 50 FEET INTO THE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM, STRIKING AND BENDING THE TAIL BOOM WHEN IT IMPACTED A TREE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHEAR BOLTS, PN 47-620-485-9, HAD SHEARED. THE PILOT ATTRIBUTED THE FAILURE OF THE SHEAR BOLTS TO POWER IMPULSES FROM REPEATED COMPRESSOR STALLS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47G3B2 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 1989 | Bell 47G3B2 | Milton-Freewtr, Oregon, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 1989 | Bell 47G3B2 | Monitor, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Jul 1986 | Bell 47G3B2 | Nahcotta, Washington, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 May 1981 | Bell 47G3B2 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | Keystone Helo | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 1981 | Bell 47G3B2 | Walla Walla, Washington, United States | B & R Helicopt | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Oct 1978 | Bell 47G3B2 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jan 1993 | Cessna A185F | Inglewood, Washington, United States | Johnson, Everett H. | No injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 1993 | Cessna 120 | Battleground, Washington, United States | Wills, Charles R. | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Feb 1993 | Beechcraft C-99 | Seattle, Washington, United States | Ameriflight, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 25 Apr 1993 | Cessna 172C | Darrington, Washington, United States | Roulier, Brent L. | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Jul 1993 | Piper PA-34-220T | Battleground, Washington, United States | Flightcraft Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Aug 1993 | Enstrom F-28C | Seattle, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |