Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Unknown Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Russell, Massachusetts 01071
Friday, December 2, 1988 10:15 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE BELL 47D1 WAS ON A SOLO X-COUNTRY FLIGHT WITH A COMMERCIAL RATED (NON-ROTORCRAFT RATED) PILOT WHO WAS WORKING ON HIS ROTORCRAFT RATING. THE HELICOPTER CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA WITH DEBRIS SPREAD ALONG THE FLIGHT PATH FOR OVER 1/4 MILE. POST CRASH EXAMINATION SHOWED THAT ONE STABILIZER BAR WAS MISSING FROM THE ROTOR HEAD AND HAD FAILED OPPOSITE THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION. THE STABILIZER BAR WAS NOT RECOVERED. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF BLADE FLAPPING AND LOW ROTOR RPM CONDITIONS. NO EVIDENCE OF A FAILURE ON THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM, OTHER THAN THE MISSING STABILIZER CONTROL BAR WAS FOUND. NO EVIDENCE OF A ENGINE FAILURE WAS NOTED, ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT FOR THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A PILOT INDUCED LOW ROTOR RPM CONDITION, FOLLOWED BY BLADE FLAPPING AS THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE CONTACTED THE TAIL OF THE HELICOPTER.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/2/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1015 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | RUSSELL |
| Event State | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 01071 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | UNKNOWN |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | 945 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 100 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BAF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 271 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 35 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | FAA |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2442 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39388 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:22PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Unknown |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N163B |
| NTSB Number | NYC89DNE01 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 47D1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 47D1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 18 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 12 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ASSOCIATED AIR SERVICES, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1104 WORTHINGTON ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | SPRINGFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 01109 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BAF |
| Departure City | WESTFIELD |
| Departure State | MA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GBR |
| Destination City | GRT. BARRINGTON |
| Destination State | MA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |