Accident Bell 47G-2A N818HJ,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 30092
 
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Date:Monday 17 July 2000
Time:14:22
Type:Silhouette image of generic B47G model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Bell 47G-2A
Owner/operator:Precision Air Service
Registration: N818HJ
MSN: 2764
Total airframe hrs:9199 hours
Engine model:Lycoming VO-435-A1E
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Covington, TN -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Agricultural
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
While at hover, about 15 to 20 feet above a field, at an indicated airspeed of about 20 knots, the pilot heard a 'bang' and the helicopter began to vibrate. The tail of the helicopter started coming around, so the pilot elected to set the helicopter down on the ground. When he landed, the main and tail rotor hit the ground. According to the FAA inspector's report, '...the tailskid may have touched down at a point 123 feet from where the rotorcraft impacted the ground,' at a location in the field where about 20 feet of cotton stalks were found to have been pulled up or cut. The damaged tail rotor and yoke were shipped to Bell Helicopter for metallurgical inspection. The inspection revealed there was no evidence of fatigue cracking on the surface of the separated blade. The separation was an overload failure. The damage to both the separated blade and the complete blade was consistent with a tail rotor blade strike. The pilot reported that he had 15 flight hours in this make and model helicopter.
Probable Cause: the pilot allowed the helicopter to get too low while hovering, which resulted in the tail rotor striking the ground, the separation of the blade, and subsequent force landing.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: MIA00LA222
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X21550&key=1

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
20 May 1987 N818HJ P.a.h. Corp. 0 Monroeville, OH sub

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
27-Sep-2008 01:00 ASN archive Added
19-Oct-2011 08:35 Dr. John Smith Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:16 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
21-Dec-2016 19:20 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
12-Dec-2017 18:57 ASN Update Bot Updated [Source, Narrative]

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