Bell 47G-2 accident near Hayden, Alabama, September 9, 2006
On September 9, 2006 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Bell 47G-2 (helicopter), registered N23947, was destroyed in an accident near Hayden, Alabama (Na airport). It was an instructional 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
engine fire for reasons undetermined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2006 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hayden, Alabama · Na · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-2 · all 47G-2s on the register
- Registration
- N23947 · no longer on the register · serial 2080
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he had just performed an uneventful landing in his pasture and was allowing the engine to cool down before shutting it down. The pilot reported that one minute into the cool down, he reduced the throttle to seventeen hundred rpm. He felt heat on his back and turned around to see fire coming from the engine. As the pilot was attempting to egress from the helicopter, he fell backwards, grabbed the cyclic stick with the engine still running, and pulled it to the left side as he slid out. The helicopter was entirely consumed by fire. Due to the extent of the damage, the origin of the fire could not be determined.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 205 hours in all; 205 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2006
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 3A1 Cullman AL at 2:00 pm
- Destination: Hayden AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 11:20 am from 3A1, 20 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.