ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 42619
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| Date: | Thursday 26 August 1999 |
| Time: | 11:25 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 47G-2 |
| Owner/operator: | Beightol, Steven, L. |
| Registration: | N11VH |
| MSN: | 2027 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1958 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming VO-435-A1G |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Benton City, WA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | , WA |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The non-certificated pilot, who had been building the helicopter for several years, had recorded a total of 5 hours of flight experience in 1988 and an additional 10 hours in 1999 (July 19th through August 24th). Although all his flight time had been logged as 'dual,' family members reported that a number of the eight flights conducted in 1999 (all in the accident helicopter), had been flown solo. An ear witness reported hearing the helicopter depart followed by a 'popping' sound and then silence. The witness then observed a plume of smoke. A mechanic stated that the pilot reported having engine problems and then borrowed a used carburetor and the pilot's logbook contained an entry dated 8/16/99 with the remark 'flight test changed carb running good.' The aircraft impacted terrain in a steep descent and wreckage distribution was confined to a small area. Minimal leading edge rotor blade damage was noted and the engine/rotor RPM indicator was observed to display '0' and '170' RPM respectively at the site. The center portion of the helicopter including the engine and transmission were heavily damaged in the post-crash fire.
Probable Cause: A loss of power for undetermined reasons and the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate rotor RPM following the power loss. Contributing factors were the pilot's lack of certification and total experience.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB SEA99LA149
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 9 April 1982 | N11VH | Valicopters, Inc. | 0 | Lyle, WA | |
sub |
| 18 May 1982 | N11VH | Valicopters Inc | 0 | Grandview, OR | |
sub |
| 2 July 1985 | N11VH | Vali Copters, Inc. | 0 | Roosevelt, WA | |
sub |
| 12 June 1986 | N11VH | Valicopters, Inc. | 0 | Zillah, WA | |
w/o |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 14-Dec-2017 08:45 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Apr-2024 18:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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