Bell 47G-2 accident near Tulsa, OK
On May 16, 1994, a Bell 47G-2 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Tulsa, OK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 16, 1994
- Place
- Tulsa, OK
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-2 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.021°N, 95.930°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X01271
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 16, 1994, at 1502 central daylight time, N47GY, a Bell 47G-2, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during an uncontrolled descent in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the ferry flight. Eye witnesses were interviewed and thirteen witness' statements were submitted. The consensus of these statements revealed: The accident helicopter was following a lead helicopter [both helicopters were enroute to Tulsa Helicopters, Inc., a helicopter repair facility, for maintenance to be performed on the accident helicopter (see attached map)]. Five witnesses reported hearing a loud "pop," "exploding," or "backfire" noise. Two witnesses indicated that there was a power loss. Eight witnesses saw something separate from the helicopter. One witness saw the helicopter tilt left and go sideways. "I could see top of rotors from my view point which told me copter was completely sideways," he wrote. Another witness verbally reported seeing the helicopter roll 90 degrees to the left, and said he also saw the top of the rotor disc. Five witnesses said the helicopter went inverted, four witnesses said the helicopter entered a spin or spiral, and another witness said it "tumbled." WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The helicopter impacted the back yard of a residence at 3324 E. 83rd Place, causing minor damage to the chimney structure. Two of the three longitudinal tail boom trusses were found severed. Approximately 240 feet away, on the west side of Harvard Avenue, the left synchronized elevator and end cap
Probable cause
IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE CYCLIC AND COLLECTIVE CONTROLS WHEN HE MANEUVERED ABRUPTLY TO AVOID COLLIDING WITH A FLOCK OF BIRDS. FACTORS WERE THE BIRDS AND THE INFLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE LEFT SYNCHRONIZED ELEVATOR.
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Browse: Oklahoma · Bell aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
