Bell 47G2 N9021R
12 August 1997 · Mojave, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 12 August 1997 at about 17:00 local time, a Bell 47G2 registered N9021R, operated by National Test Pilot School, was involved in an accident near Mojave, California, United States. 2 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 17:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Mojave, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Mojave (MHV)
- Coordinates
- 35.0706, -118.1796
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G2
- Registration
- N9021R
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- National Test Pilot School
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX97LA285
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The student's improper use of the throttle and collective controls and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The dual student had a fixed wing pilot certificate issued by a foreign country, and no prior rotorcraft flight experience. The flight instructor reported that he was doing pattern work with the student and that he was 'guarding the controls while the left seat pilot was flying.' He further stated that on the third pattern, the student allowed the rpm to decrease and he cautioned the student to 'watch the RPM.' The student then raised the collective without adding additional throttle. As the instructor reached for the throttle, the student quickly raised the collective without any other action. The aircraft then yawed to the right and the rotor rpm decreased even further. The student then applied a rearward cyclic input in an attempt to flare the aircraft. The tail rotor struck the ground, destroying the tail rotor and shearing the tail rotor driveshaft. The aircraft touched down in a right turn and the skids collapsed. The instructor reported that during the accident sequence he was 'attempting to regain aircraft control while calling for [the student] to release the controls.'
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47G2 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec 1998 | Bell 47G2 | Helendale, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 1999 | Bell 47G2 | Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1995 | Bell 47G2 | Montrose, Georgia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 1994 | Bell 47G2 | Baldwin, Illinois, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 3 Oct 1994 | Bell 47G2 | Decatur, Illinois, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 2001 | Bell 47G2 | Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States | Versatile Helicopters Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 1997 | Airbus A300 B4-203 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Pan American World Airways, In | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 1997 | Bell UH-1H | Tahoe City, California, United States | Usda / Forest Service | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Cessna 152 | Julian, California, United States | Plus One Flyers, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Schweizer 2-32 | Warner Springs, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Bellanca 7ECA | Tracy, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Oct 1997 | Extra Flugzeugbau EA-300 | Castaic, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |