Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

S. Lake Tahoe, California 95706
Sunday, July 31, 1983 9:08 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DURING TAKEOFF OVER DESCENDING TERRAIN IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA, THE RPM BEGAN DECAYING WHEN THE HELICOPTER HAD ACCELERATED TO 40 KTS & WAS ABOUT 75 FT AGL. THE PLT APPLIED MORE THROTTLE & INCREASED THE COLLECTIVE, THEN NOTED THAT THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE WAS DECREASING & THE RPM CONTINUED TO DECAY. THE HELICOPTER SETTLED TO THE GROUND, ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE & CAME TO REST INVERTED. AN EXAM REVEALED NO REASON FOR THE LOSS OF POWER. THE DENSITY ALT WAS ABOUT 8100 FT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/31/1983
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 908
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City S. LAKE TAHOE
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95706
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 7
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 855 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 100
Weather Observation Facility ID TVL
Elevation of weather observation facility 6264
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 16
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 3
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 350
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 8100
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 3269
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 23756
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N11102
NTSB Number LAX83FA366
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 47G-3B-1
Aircraft Series Identifier 47G-3B-1
Aircraft Serial Number 3351
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Jul 27 1983 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 4
Airframe Hours 9735
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name PINE BELT HELICOPTERS, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 279, MINDEN AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City MINDEN
Aircraft Owner State NV
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 89423
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 Yes - certificate holder
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 907
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 Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Aug 22 2001 3:51PM
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 --