Bell 47G accident near West Glacier, Montana, August 5, 1984
On August 5, 1984 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Bell 47G (helicopter), registered N7965J, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Glacier, Montana. It was a personal 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
- August 5, 1984 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- West Glacier, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G · all 47Gs on the register
- Registration
- N7965J · registry record · serial 6859
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FOLLOWING IN-FLIGHT POWER LOSS THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION TO A FORCED LANDING ON A HIGHWAY. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE MAIN ROTOR MADE CONTACT WITH A PASSING MOTOR HOME. INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO FUEL ON BOARD, ALTHOUGH THE PILOT CALCULATED 0.6 HOURS OF FUEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMAINING.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,385 hours in all; 4,200 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 1984; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TVO-435-F1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from FCA, 8 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N7965J 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.