Bell 47G-5A accident near Brush, Colorado, May 19, 2005
On May 19, 2005 at about 1:30 am local time, a Bell 47G-5A (helicopter), registered N59403, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brush, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the truck trailer during takeoff. A factor contributing to this accident was the truck trailer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2005 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Brush, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-5A · all 47G-5As on the register
- Registration
- N59403 · registry record · serial 25140
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during takeoff, the right rear skid of the helicopter caught on a nearby truck trailer fender. The helicopter nosed over, bounced hard, then spun around colliding with the truck trailer and the ground. The helicopter came to rest on its left side. The pilot reported the helicopter's main rotor was bent, the tail boom was bent downward, the short shaft was broken, the main frame was bent, and the Plexiglas canopy was broken. The pilot stated that it was a "nice day," the winds were "dead calm," and that there was "nothing wrong with the machine." An examination of the helicopter revealed no anomalies that could have contributed to 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 208 hours in all; 63 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 106 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,642.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2005; 0.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-768-BIA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Brush CO at 1:30 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N59403 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.