Bell 47 N9005T
30 September 1997 · Pipestone, Minnesota, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 30 September 1997 at about 19:45 local time, a Bell 47 registered N9005T was involved in an accident near Pipestone, Minnesota, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously 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 19:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Pipestone, Minnesota, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.9994, -96.3096
- Aircraft
- Bell 47
- Registration
- N9005T
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI97LA306
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the fracture of the pitch control rod assembly.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that while he was ferrying the helicopter to the next field he, 'heard a loud bang from behind.' He said that the cyclic control, 'jerked,' the helicopter began to vibrate, and the rotor RPM decreased. He increased the throttle, but the engine responded as if there was no load on the engine. He initiated autorotation, but was unable to regain control, and the aircraft impacted the terrain. Post accident investigation revealed that one of two pitch control rod assemblies had fractured between the clevis and turnbuckle. Examination of the fracture showed areas of fatigue striations and multiple crack initiation sites on the machined surface.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Aug 1997 | Bell 47-D1 | Holcomb, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1997 | Bell 47G-3B-1 | Crossett, Arkansas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Oct 1997 | Bell 47-G3B | Winston, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 1997 | Bell 47G-2 | McGee, Mississippi, United States | Louis E. McCarthy | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 1997 | Bell 47G-2 | Burbank, California, United States | John A. Ochwatt | No injuries | - |
| 19 Aug 1997 | Bell 47G-3B-2 | Montrose, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1997 | Cessna A188B | McGregor, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jul 1997 | Grumman-Schweizer G-164B | Donnelly, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1997 | Cessna A188B | Aitkin, Minnesota, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 1997 | Weatherly 201C | Stephen, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 1997 | Goble RV-4 | Rosemount, Minnesota, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Aug 1997 | Piper PA-28-121 | Glencoe, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |