Bell 47G-2A-1 N73979

Summary

On 21 October 2003 at about 15:40 local time, a Bell 47G-2A-1 registered N73979, operated by Donn W Goodson, was involved in an accident near Balm, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. One person on the ground also died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 October 2003 at 15:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Balm, Florida, United States

Coordinates

27.7697, -82.2856

Aircraft

Bell 47G-2A-1

Registration

N73979

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Donn W Goodson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Balm → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA04FA008

1 person died, including 1 on the ground.

The pilot's intentional buzzing and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance which resulted in an in-flight collision with a building.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The witness to the accident stated that around 1100 he had gone for a ride in the helicopter with the pilot. The ride lasted for 20 to 30 minutes and when they landed, he got out and his friend got in to go for a ride. The helicopter took off and was gone for about 15 minutes. When it returned, he was standing in front of the hangar beside another bystander. The helicopter flew by twice, once from south to north, a second time from north to south and then turned to come from west to east. As the helicopter approached, the witness estimated it was about 8 to 12 feet off the ground. He was taking pictures with a disposable camera and the bystander was filming the helicopter's flight with a video camera. The witness stated that he believed the pilot was performing a fly-by so that he and the bystander could take pictures. He further stated that he believed "the blades on top of the helicopter struck the hangar above where [the bystander] and I were standing." The bystander was "struck by something" and fell to the ground beside him. The witness then looked to the right and saw the helicopter impact a small fishing boat and pickup truck that were parked just northeast of the hangar. The helicopter came to rest nose down, partially inverted in the cavity of the boat.. The videotape recovered from the video camera depicted the helicopter maneuvering in a manner consistent with the witness's description of the event. The tape also appeared to depict the belly or skid gear of the helicopter striking the video camera and/or the person holding the camera on the final pass. Examination of the accident site indicated that the helicopter's main rotor blades impacted the eaves of the hangar immediately above the location where the witness and bystander were standing. No evidence of any pre-impact mechanical discrepancies with the airframe or engine were found that would have prevented normal operation of the helicopter. The FAA had no record of the pilot having a valid airman or medical certificate. Friends and family members of the pilot reported that he had been flying the helicopter for many years.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.