Bell 47G3B accident near Nr. Englewood, Colorado, October 5, 1982
On October 5, 1982 at about 2:47 pm local time, a Bell 47G3B (helicopter), registered N204Z, was destroyed in an accident near Nr. Englewood, Colorado (Arapahoe County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 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
- October 5, 1982 · about 2:47 pm local time
- Place
- Nr. Englewood, Colorado · Arapahoe County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G3B · all 47G3Bs on the register
- Registration
- N204Z · registry record · serial 3449
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT WAS PRACTICING MANEUVERS FOR CERTIFICATION TEST. HE SAID HE MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING DUE TO SUSPECTED ENGINE TROUBLE AND A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE AIRCRAFT IN THE GRASS. HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT BUT LEFT BATTERY AND RADIO ON. THIS INVESTIGATION INCLUDED REFERENCES TO SABOTAGE FROM A FORMER EMPLOYER, TO ARSON BY THE PILOT. PILOT WAS GIVEN A LIE DETECTION TEST WHICH DID NOT CLEAR HIM. PILOT HAD ALSO LEFT EMERGENCY FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE OPEN. PILOT WAS TESTED IN THE ARSON INVESTIGATION BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN OVERHEARD IN REMARKS "ITS OKAY IF IT BURNS. WE HAVE PLENTY OF INSURANCE" AND "THE BEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO A HELICOPTER IS THAT IT BURN ITSELF UP". NO EVIDENCE WAS RECEIVED FOR IGNITION SOURCE OR FUEL SOURCE BECAUSE OF CONDITION OF WRECKAGE. SOME OF THE PERTINENT VALVES AND LINES WERE DESTROYED. BOTH FUELTANKS WERE INTACT BUT EMPTY.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,300 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 4,900 as pilot in command; 785 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,085 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 140 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TVO-435-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Energy Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: C Englewood CO at 8:30 am
- Destination: C Englewood CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 142°F (61°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.