Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Stanwood, Washington 98292
Sunday, April 2, 2000 11:50 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and two passengers were engaged in a sightseeing flight eastbound over a river in the Bell 47G helicopter when they heard a 'clunk,' the engine began to overspeed, and rotor RPM began to decay. The pilot executed an autorotation to a nearby field. Just prior to touchdown, the helicopter snagged the wires of two low profile, four-foot high electrical fences which he did not see. The helicopter then rolled/yawed to the right and made a hard landing, coming to rest on its right side. Post-crash examination of the engine and transmission revealed no mechanical malfunctions. However, the oil jet (a threaded, hollow plug which screwed into the forward end of the engine crankshaft) was found lying loose beneath the clutch housing. The interior surfaces of the clutch housing displayed a large amount of oil. The clutch assembly was found to be without mechanical disparities and within normal wear limits. The release of the oil jet would have allowed engine oil to flow through the 3/8 inch threaded orifice into the lower transmission and clutch housing at a significantly higher rate than through the small diameter orifice in the end of the oil jet, resulting in disengagement of the clutch. The orifice in the jet was intended to allow a mist or light spray of oil to reach the lower mast bearing for lubrication purposes.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The disengagement of the oil jet fitting from its threaded receptacle at the forward end of the engine crankshaft. This resulted in excessive oil within the clutch assembly, the subsequent slipping of the clutch, and ultimately the disengagement of the rotor drive system from the engine. Contributing factors were the pilot's not maintaining clearance from the electric fences which were also hidden objects against the grass landing surface.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/2/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1150 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | STANWOOD |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98292 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1155 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 96 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AWO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 137 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 201 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 2 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1209 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 10:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3377H |
| NTSB Number | SEA00FA061 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 47G-3B-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 47G-3B-1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3391 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2950 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 2 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | 6569 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GABLE, STEPHEN, L. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 541 |
| Aircraft Owner City | EVERETT |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98206 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | GABLE, STEPHEN, L. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 10511 52ND STREET NE |
| Operator City | SNOHOMISH |
| Operator State | WA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 98290 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | AWO |
| Departure City | ARLINGTON |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1105 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 10 2001 12:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |