Bell 47D accident near Baltimore, Maryland, May 13, 1990
On May 13, 1990 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Bell 47D (helicopter), registered N4229A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Baltimore, Maryland (Essex Skypark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT APPLIED EXCESSIVE CYCLIC CONTROL, CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR TO FLEX AND SEVERE THE TAIL CONE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 1990 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · Essex Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47D · all 47Ds on the register
- Registration
- N4229A · no longer on the register · serial 001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS PRACTICING LANDINGS WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. HE REPORTED THAT AFTER TOUCH DOWN, AS THE FORWARD MOTION OF THE HELICOPTER SLOWED, HE NOTICED THE HELICOPTER PITCHED SLIGHTLY DOWN. THE PLT STATED HE INSTINCTIVELY APPLIED AFT CYCLIC PRESSURE, CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO FLEX DOWN AND SEVERE THE TAIL CONE. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WAS REPORTED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,878 hours in all; 114 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 2,676 as pilot in command; 2,029 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,514 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 8, 1990; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V4-335 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 10,000 ft; scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from BWI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.