Bell 47G-5A accident near Sandusky, Michigan, June 28, 2003
On June 28, 2003 at about 1:00 am local time, a Bell 47G-5A (helicopter), registered N8413D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sandusky, Michigan. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the ignition switch leading to an engine power loss in cruise flight and the subsequent high flare during autorotation. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's misjudgment of the landing flare and the unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot on landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2003 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Sandusky, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-5A · all 47G-5As on the register
- Registration
- N8413D · registry record · serial 25091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter sustained substantial damage when it landed hard during an autorotation following an in-flight loss of engine power. The pilot reported the engine failed at approximately 400 feet above ground level while in cruise flight. The pilot noted he performed an autorotation but flared early to avoid a drainage ditch. The pilot stated the helicopter landed hard in a field. An inspection of the helicopter showed engine and flight control continuity. The spark plugs and exhaust tubes were clean and the fuel tanks contained fuel. The magnetos worked when tested independently of the ignition system. The inspection revealed that the ignition switch had an internal fault causing it to ground out the ignition system.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,617 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 10,345 as pilot in command; 483 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 10, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O435-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Sandusky MI at 1:00 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 1:16 am from BAX, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.