Bell 47G-3B1 accident near Miss.Pal.St.Pk, Illinois, September 23, 1984
On September 23, 1984 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Bell 47G-3B1 (helicopter), registered N90543, was destroyed in an accident near Miss.Pal.St.Pk, Illinois. 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 1984 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Miss.Pal.St.Pk, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-3B1 · all 47G-3B1s on the register
- Registration
- N90543 · registry record · serial 3451
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER APRX 2 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PLT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION INTO TREES AS NO SUITABLE LANDING AREA WAS AVAILABLE. THE 2 PASSENGERS ON BOARD STATED THE PLT DID NOT VISUALLY CHECK THE FUEL QUANTITY BEFORE TAKEOFF. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS WHEN EXAMINED BY MECHANICS AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 833 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 533 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,867 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 23, 1984; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TVO-435-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFY Savanna IL at 7:58 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 7:53 pm from MLI
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.