Bell-Carson 47G SUPER C 4 accident near Timmonsville, SC
On April 21, 2017, a Bell-Carson 47G SUPER C 4 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Timmonsville, SC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 21, 2017
- Place
- Timmonsville, SC
- Aircraft
- Bell-Carson 47G SUPER C 4 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 34.182°N, 80.004°W
- NTSB ID
- 20170421X84716
Official records · ERA17FA164
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 21, 2017, about 1632 eastern daylight time, a privately owned and operated Bell-Carson 47G Super C-4 helicopter, N865Z, was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire near a private uncharted airfield in Timmonsville, South Carolina. The private pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was privately owned and operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated from Huggins Memorial Airport (58J) in Timmonsville about 1628. According to the pilot's family, the purpose of the flight was to conduct a "golf ball drop" at a fundraising event about 13 miles northwest of the accident site. The pilot's family was not aware of the helicopter's planned route of flight, including any possible stops along the way. A review of radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which did not include altitude data, revealed that, after the helicopter departed 58J (where the helicopter was based), it flew northwest in the general direction of the golf ball drop location. The last recorded radar data point was about 800 ft north of the accident site. At that time, the helicopter was flying northwest, away from the accident site, and its track was not aligned with the turf runway at the private uncharted airfield or the accident site. The remaining flight time and track after the radar data end, and before the helicopter collided with trees and terrain, could not be determine. A witness
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to maneuver the helicopter at a low altitude near trees, which resulted in collision with the trees.
More accidents in SC
- Beech 200, Feb 4, 2006
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Browse: South Carolina
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
