Bell 47 D-1 accident near Stockbridge, Michigan, August 14, 1990
On August 14, 1990 at about 9:54 am local time, a Bell 47 D-1 (helicopter), registered N3656F, was destroyed in an accident near Stockbridge, Michigan. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE RESTRICTED VISUAL LOOKOUT WHICH RESULTED FROM THE CANOPY FOGGING UP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1990 · about 9:54 am local time
- Place
- Stockbridge, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47 D-1 · all 47 D-1s on the register
- Registration
- N3656F · no longer on the register · serial 307
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AGRICULTURAL HEILCOPTER HAD JUST TAKEN OFF ON AN EARLY MORNING RE-POSITIONING FLIGHT WHEN THE CANOPY BECAME COMPLETELY FOGGED OVER. BEFORE THE PILOT COULD RE-ORIENT HIMSELF BY LOOKING OUT THE SIDE OPENING, THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH A POWER POLE AND WIRES. THE COLLISION CAUSED THE FUEL TANK TO RUPTURE AND SPRAYED AVIATION FUEL ONTO THE HOT ENGINE AND EXHAUST PIPES. THE ENSUING FIRE DESTROYED THE HELICOPTER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,149 hours in all; 10,700 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 10,309 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,166 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 25, 1990; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V4200-C32 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Allied Helicopter Service, INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from JXN, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.