Bell 47G-2 accident near Flandreau, South Dakota, August 14, 2012
On August 14, 2012 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Bell 47G-2 (helicopter), registered N444EH, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Flandreau, South Dakota (Flandreau Municipal 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
A malfunction of the helicopter’s throttle system, which resulted in a loss of engine power during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2012 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Flandreau, South Dakota · Flandreau Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-2 · all 47G-2s on the register
- Registration
- N444EH · registry record · serial 2421
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the helicopter lost engine power during cruise flight. He initiated an autorotation; however, the only available landing area was a pasture that resulted in a tailwind approach and landing. The landing from the autorotation was reportedly a “little rough,” and the helicopter bounced and rolled onto its left side. A postaccident examination revealed that the throttle system did not operate properly. Specifically, the hand grip on the collective throttle control was loose and the throttle cable was not free to move within the conduit. The conduit did not appear to be deformed or damaged in a manner that would have prevented movement of the cable. The throttle conduit was replaced about 3 months before the accident; however, the existing throttle cable was reinstalled with the new conduit. A brief operational test of the throttle system was successfully conducted after that maintenance and the helicopter was subsequently operated for more than 25 hours without incident before the accident occurred.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › (general) › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,048 hours in all; 1,805 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 3,591 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 30, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,659.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 12, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4P3 Flandreau SD at 1:15 pm
- Destination: PVT Colman SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 110 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 2:13 pm from PQN, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.