Continental Copters INC 47G accident near Sandy Hook, Kentucky, August 31, 2013
On August 31, 2013 at about 1:50 pm local time, a 1963 Continental Copters INC 47G (helicopter), registered N6356X, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Sandy Hook, Kentucky. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight disengagement of the tail rotor extension shaft from the tail rotor gearbox, resulting in a loss of tail rotor control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2013 · about 1:50 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Sandy Hook, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Continental Copters INC 47G, built 1963
- Registration
- N6356X · registry record · serial CCI-563
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that as he approached a pre-planned landing zone, he reduced engine power for landing. The helicopter yawed to the right, then back to the left. The helicopter yawed again, and the pilot felt unusual vibrations, so he decided to perform an autorotation. The helicopter landed hard on a gravel road and sustained substantial damage. Examination of the wreckage revealed impact damage to the aft tail boom from main rotor contact. The aft-most section of the tail rotor drive shaft was missing and was not recovered. It is likely that, during the hard landing, a main rotor blade struck the tail boom and liberated the drive shaft section. Manipulation of the tail rotor shaft input at the tail rotor gearbox revealed a lack of continuity to the tail rotor hub and blades. The tail rotor did not rotate when the universal joint, located at the forward end of the extension housing tube, was turned. Subsequent examination showed that the tail rotor gearbox was operational; however, the tail rotor extension shaft was found disconnected from the input coupling to the tail rotor gearbox. Rotational scoring inside the extension shaft housing indicated excessive play in the shaft that was present before the accident, which would have resulted in the loss of tail rotor control.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Tail rotor drive system › Tail rotor drive shaft › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 685 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 355 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 31, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,851 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 2013; 250 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V4 SERIES (piston); 250 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: M97 Morehead KY at 1:30 pm
- Destination: Sandy Hook KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from IOB, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on September 26, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6356X on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Franklin 6V4 SERIES 84 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Kentucky 702 since 1982 · 111 in the last ten years
- Kentucky 2,981 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA13LA390.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.