Bell 47-G5 N59400
2 July 1994 · Wareham, Massachusetts, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 2 July 1994 at about 13:50 local time, a Bell 47-G5 registered N59400, operated by Wiggins Airways, was involved in an accident near Wareham, Massachusetts, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. 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 13:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Wareham, Massachusetts, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Bell 47-G5
- Registration
- N59400
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Wiggins Airways
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC94LA110
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate inflight planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING AN AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE OF THE AREA TO BE FERTILIZER, AT 35 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND AN AIRSPEED OF 40 MILES PER HOUR. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE TURN TO DOWNWIND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT LEVELED THE HELICOPTER AND ENTERED AUTOROTATION. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TAILBOOM. BOTH FUEL TANKS WERE FOUND INTACT AND A TOTAL OF 20 OUNCES OF USEABLE FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE TANKS. THE HELICOPTER FLIGHT MANUAL DEPICTED THE COMBINATION OF 35 FEET AND 40 MPH AS AN AREA TO AVOID CONTINUOUS OPERATIONS IN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 1994 | Bell 47G-5 | Pacific Ocean | Victor M. Reyes | Fatal | 2 |
| 22 Mar 1994 | Bell 47G-5A | Wisconsin Rpds, Wisconsin, United States | Ruterbories, Caryl J. | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Aug 1994 | Bell 47 MARK-6 | Lake City, Minnesota, United States | Northland Helicopter Inc | No injuries | - |
| 18 May 1994 | Bell 47G | Sulphur, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 1994 | Bell 47G-2 | Willcox, Arizona, United States | Arizona Apple Company, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 1994 | Bell 47G-3B-1 | Yuma, Arizona, United States | Sundown Helicopters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172N | Chatham, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 1994 | Cessna 172P | Sterling, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 1994 | Mooney M20J | Edgartown, Massachusetts, United States | Peter N Spanos | Fatal | 1 |
| 19 Nov 1994 | Cessna 402C | Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States | Island Airlines, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 19 Nov 1994 | Mooney M20J | Brewster, Massachusetts, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Jun 1994 | Beechcraft 24R | Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |