Aviation Crash Map

Bell 47G N5226

1 December 2001 · Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 1 December 2001 at about 16:30 local time, a Bell 47G registered N5226 was involved in an accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma, 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 16:30
Classification
Accident
Location
Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States
Nearest airport
Ardmore Downtown Executive (1F0)
Coordinates
34.1461, -97.1225
Aircraft
Bell 47G
Registration
N5226
Category
Helicopter
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Instructional
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Ardmore → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
FTW02LA044

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
2 0 0 0 2

Probable cause

the flight instructor's selection of an unsuitable area for practicing a full touchdown autorotation, which resulted in a nose over. A contributing factor was the soft ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot had completed three power recovery autorotations to the south, and the flight instructor was to demonstrate a "full touchdown autorotation" to end the training session. The flight instructor initiated the autorotation at 1,500 feet msl and 60 knots to the airport's mid-field median. After slowing to 40 knots, the instructor began a flare to reduce the airspeed to 15-20 knots. At 10 feet agl, he pulled collective to cushion the landing. The helicopter touched down on the soft grassy area and slid for approximately 10 feet before starting to nose over. "The tail of the helicopter pitched upward into the blades, severing it." The helicopter rotated left approximately 270 degrees before coming to rest upright. The flight instructor stated that "weather had saturated the ground and caused the sod to be soft on the usual landing area. It was not visible from the helicopter."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Bell 47 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
7 Sep 2001 Bell 47G
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27 Sep 2001 Bell 47G-2
N46R
Grand Haven, Michigan, United States - Minor injuries -
26 Jul 2001 Bell 47G-2
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7 Feb 2001 Bell 47G-5
N6260C
Pixley, California, United States - No injuries -
6 Jul 2001 Bell 47D-1
N64580
Riverside, California, United States - No injuries -
5 Aug 2001 Bell 47G-2
N440TG
Blooming Prairi, Minnesota, United States Scotts Helicopter Services Inc No injuries -

All 1,633 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
3 May 2001 Cessna 172RG
N9696B
Washington, Oklahoma, United States Airman Flight School Inc. Minor injuries -
14 Jun 2001 Commander 114-B
N114BW
Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United States Gary A. Gallo Minor injuries -
24 Aug 2001 Piper PA-28-161
N81833
Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States - No injuries -
14 Mar 2001 Cessna 152
N757GP
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States - Minor injuries -
15 Mar 2001 Cessna 210D
N210HS
Lawton, Oklahoma, United States - No injuries -
26 Aug 2001 Cessna 150
N10088
Miami, Oklahoma, United States - Minor injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States