Bell 47G2 accident near Muncie, Indiana, August 14, 2004
On August 14, 2004 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Bell 47G2 (helicopter), registered N96MB, was destroyed in an accident near Muncie, Indiana. 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 engine failure for an undetermined reason, and the pilot's inability to properly level-off for landing due to the low rotor speed, which resulted in the hard landing. The low altitude where the engine failure occurred was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2004 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Muncie, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G2 · all 47G2s on the register
- Registration
- N96MB · registry record · serial 2443
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was damaged when it impacted terrain during an attempted forced landing following a complete loss of engine power. The helicopter had just taken off and was at 50 feet altitude and 45 miles per hour when the pilot heard two loud "bangs" followed by a complete loss of power. The pilot stated that he performed an autorotation to a flat area near the airport. He stated that as he "approached touchdown [he] raised collective to cushion the impact but with so little altitude an autorotation gave very little rotor speed." He stated that the helicopter struck the ground in a level attitude while moving forward, the skids collapsed and the helicopter broke apart. No defects were found with respect to the helicopter's engine.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 507 hours in all; 68 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,712 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 23, 2004; 75 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7I2 Muncie IN at 8:00 pm
- Destination: MIE Muncie IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N96MB 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.