World Helicopters 47D1 accident near Ballard, Missouri, July 22, 2001
On July 22, 2001 at about 4:08 pm local time, a World Helicopters 47D1, registered N17301, was destroyed in an accident near Ballard, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper preflight planning which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and the pilot's subsequent improper autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2001 · about 4:08 pm local time
- Place
- Ballard, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- World Helicopters 47D1
- Registration
- N17301 · registry record · serial WH5016
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter impacted the terrain while performing an autorotation following a loss of engine power. The helicopter was examined and no anomalies could be found that could be associated with a pre-impact condition. About 10 ounces of fuel was all that could be drained from the fuel system. The fuel system was not compromised. A witness saw the helicopter above the tree line behind his house. He said that the helicopter, "...was in view for about 1 1/2 seconds when [the] motor pitch changed and [the] helicopter headed to its right dropping under [the] tree line. After losing sight of [the] helicopter [,] I heard a thud and no explosion and no longer could [hear] it any longer." The pilot had not been issued a pilot certificate other than a student pilot certificate. No instructor endorsement for solo flight was found in the pilot logbook, or on the student pilot certificate. The track data from a global positioning system receiver that was found at the accident site was downloaded to a computer and plotted on a sectional aeronautical chart. The first recorded position on the accident date was 39 degrees 8.5404 minutes north and 95 degrees 9.5766 minutes west at 1438:30 universal coordinated time (UTC). The last recorded position for the accident date was at 38 degrees 26.0904 minutes north and 94 degrees 6.5526 minutes west at 1608:46 UTC.
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: student
- Flight time: 23 hours in all; 23 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,917.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 29, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Tonganoxie KS at 2:30 pm
- Destination: Rolla MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from SZL, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N17301 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.