Bell 47G-3B-1 N48020
12 September 2003 · Diamond, Oregon, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 12 September 2003 at about 16:20 local time, a Bell 47G-3B-1 registered N48020 was involved in an accident near Diamond, Oregon, 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 16:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Diamond, Oregon, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.0017, -118.5856
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-3B-1
- Registration
- N48020
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Diamond → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA03LA189
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons during hover.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During a flight for the purpose of herding horses into a trap, the helicopter was in a hover about 80 feet above ground level. The pilot reported that as he transitioned from the hover to forward flight he noted that the rotor rpm was decaying and the engine rpm increased rapidly. The pilot entered into an autorotation with a rapid descent. The helicopter landed hard, collapsing the main landing skids and the main rotor blades contacted and severed the tail boom. The helicopter came to rest with the engine still running. A wrangler assisted the pilot in turning off the magnetos. Several individuals in the area reported hearing the engine sound go from a normal sound to a high pitch just prior to the collision. An individual who was video taping the activity also captured the sound of the engine go to a high pitch just prior to the sound of the collision. After wreckage recovery, the engine, transmission, clutch and freewheeling systems were inspected and no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was found.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 2003 | Bell 47G-3B-2 | Monmouth, Oregon, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Mar 2003 | Bell 47D | Princetown, New York, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2003 | Bell 47-G4 | Porterville, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 May 2003 | Bell 47G-4 | Robinson, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 2003 | Bell 47G-2A | Porterville, California, United States | Johns Aerial Spraying | No injuries | - |
| 14 Oct 2003 | Bell 47G-3B-1 | Schaumburg, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug 2003 | Mooney M20D | Hood River, Oregon, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Jul 2003 | Beechcraft F90 | Sunriver, Oregon, United States | Terry J. Wallace | No injuries | - |
| 26 Aug 2003 | Beechcraft C24R | Bend, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jul 2003 | Andelin (Pitts) S1E | Troutdale, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2003 | Lancair LC41 | Bend, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Dec 2003 | Bellanca 8KCAB | Bend, Oregon, United States | William D. Gonce | No injuries | - |