Bell 47G-3B-1 N24SD

Summary

On 11 April 2008 at about 16:00 local time, a Bell 47G-3B-1 registered N24SD, operated by Helicopter Roundup Service, LLC, was involved in an accident near Denio, Nevada, 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.

Date

11 April 2008 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Denio, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

41.0500, -118.3333

Aircraft

Bell 47G-3B-1

Registration

N24SD

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Helicopter Roundup Service, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Denio → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX08LA097

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadvertent hard landing induced by a perceived loss of power and a main transmission anomaly while maneuvering at low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the passenger shot a coyote during the predator control flight, the helicopter pilot circled the injured coyote. While maneuvering at 15 miles per hour and about 20 feet above the hilly terrain, the pilot heard a grinding noise, which he opined originated from the transmission. The pilot believed the helicopter was losing power, and he opted to immediately land on sloping terrain. The helicopter touched down hard, the main rotors severed the tail boom, and the helicopter rolled over. During the subsequent examination of the airframe, transmission, and engine, no evidence of a mechanical malfunction was found. One of the two cooling fan drive belts was not found seated, and may have rolled over on its pulley, producing the noise that the pilot may have misinterpreted as relating to a loss of power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.