Bell 47G N7860S
26 September 2010 · Gaston, Oregon, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 26 September 2010 at about 02:00 local time, a Bell 47G registered N7860S, operated by Farm and Forest Helicopter Service, Inc., was involved in an accident near Gaston, Oregon, United States. One person was 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 02:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Gaston, Oregon, United States
- Coordinates
- 45.4353, -123.1369
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G
- Registration
- N7860S
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Farm and Forest Helicopter Service, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Gaston → Gaston
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR10CA470
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain tail rotor clearance while landing on a transport trailer positioned on an uneven surface.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he completed his last forest spray application for the day and was landing on a trailer used for transporting the helicopter. As the skids touched down on the trailer, he lowered the collective to the full down position. The helicopter abruptly tilted aft on the skid heals, and he applied up collective. The helicopter started to rotate to the right and he was unable to counter the rotation with the left anti-torque pedal. The pilot closed the throttle as the helicopter rotated 180 degrees to the right. The helicopter then contacted the side of the trailer and came to a full stop. The pilot reported that the trailer was parked on an uneven surface and that the slope and his abrupt movement of the collective resulted in the tail rotor coming into contact with the trailer. The pilot also felt that the accident could have been avoided if the trailer were on level terrain and he had waited to lower the collective until after establishing positive and complete skid contact with the surface of the trailer. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter at the time of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 47 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2010 | Bell 47G | Plymouth, Michigan, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 2010 | Bell 47G-4A | Rochester, Minnesota, United States | Scotts Helicopter Services Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Sep 2010 | Bell 47G | Salinas, California, United States | Frank Gomes | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 2010 | Bell 47G-4A | Shafter, California, United States | Inland Crop Dusters Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2010 | Bell 47G-4A | Shaw Island, Washington, United States | Brantigan John W | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 2011 | Bell 47G | Porterville, California, United States | Agra Fly | No injuries | - |
All 1,633 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jul 2010 | Beechcraft V35 | Bend, Oregon, United States | Richard Degryse | No injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2010 | Cessna 172N | Salem, Oregon, United States | Graham Aviation Services | No injuries | - |
| 29 Aug 2010 | Cessna TU206F | Seneca, Oregon, United States | Fancho F. Stubblefield | No injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 2010 | Cessna 172 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Snohomish Flying Services | No injuries | - |
| 22 Dec 2010 | Moyes Bailey MICROLITE | Newberg, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Jul 2010 | Clark RV-9A | Oregon City, Oregon, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |