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NTSB Report

May 28, 1998 · Bell 47G · N182JR

Bunnell, FL

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
May 28, 1998
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
Bunnell, FL
Aircraft
Bell 47G
Tail Number
N182JR
Operator
Wing and Rotor International
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
MIA98LA170

The CFI stated he was providing instruction to the student pilot on how to conduct a normal landing. He said that everything was normal until the wind '... probably shifted during the approach'. He stated that '... upon loosing E.L.T. (he) came up with the collective and the helicopter settled down without any reaction to the rate of descent'. Once the helicopter touched down, it bounced back up. The hard landing caused the main rotor blade to flex down and strike the tailboom causing substantial damage to the helicopter. The CFI stated that when the helicopter was 8 to 10 feet over the ground, it started to lose altitude. The pilot claims to have responded by applying pitch. The commercial-rated CFI had about 500 hours of rotary flight time. He had 5 hours of instructional time. This was the first instructional flight in the Bell 47 helicopter. The surface weather observation at Daytona Beach International, about 19 nautical miles south of Flagler County Airport, reported winds from 310 magnetic at 10 knots at the time of the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot-in-command(CFI) failure to maintain control of the aircraft.

Full Narrative

On May 28, 1998, about 1630 eastern daylight time, a Bell 47G helicopter, N182JR, registered to S&J Investments, operated by Wing and Rotor International as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, crashed on landing near Bunnell, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The commercial-rated CFI and student pilot reported no injuries. The local flight originated from Flagler County Airport, Bunnell, Florida, at 1600. The CFI stated he was providing instructions to the student pilot on how to conduct a normal landing. He said that everything was normal until the wind "...probably shifted during the approach". He stated that "...upon loosing E.L.T. (he) came up with the collective and the helicopter settled down without any reaction to the rate of descent". The CFI also said that "...the collective was not efficient". Once the helicopter touched down, it bounced back up. At that moment, the pilot and the student heard the main rotor blade striking the tailboom. The instructor said that he verified that nobody was hurt and proceeded to shut down the engine and inspect the damage. The FAA inspector that responded to the accident conducted an interview of the CFI. During that interview, the pilot stated that the student pilot had been complaining about the anti torque pedals being too close to his legs, causing a cramp. The CFI decided to land to make the appropriate adjustment. According to the inspector's statement, when the helicopter was 8 to 10 feet over the ground, it started to lose altitude. The CFI claims to have responded by applying pitch. The helicopter landed hard causing substantial damage. The commercial-rated CFI had about 500 hours of rotary flight time. He had 5 hours of instructional time. This was the first instructional flight in the Bell 47 helicopter. The surface weather observation at Daytona Beach International, 19 nautical miles south of Flagler County Airport, at the time of the accident reported winds from 310 magnetic at 10 knots.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time16:30 EDT
Nearest AirportFlager County (0nm)
Runway0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftBell 47G
Tail NumberN182JR
Aircraft CategoryHeli
DamageSubstantial
OperatorWing and Rotor International
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsFranklin · V335 · Reciprocating · 210
Seats3

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Age 32 · Second Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind310° @ 10 kt
Visibility9 sm
CeilingOvercast 7000 ft
Altimeter30.00 inHg
Observation Time20:30
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data