Bell 47G accident near St Marys, Pennsylvania, August 20, 2017
On August 20, 2017 at about 4:00 pm local time, a 1954 Bell 47G (helicopter), registered N9526, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near St Marys, Pennsylvania. 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
The student pilot's inadequate prefight planning and en route fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2017 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- St Marys, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G 2A, built 1954 · all 47Gs on the register
- Registration
- N9526 · registry record · serial 1288-16
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that he departed in the helicopter with 37 to 42 gallons of fuel on board; however, he had only used an average fuel burn for his endurance estimates and did not make adjustments for pressure, temperature, or other performance metrics. He indicated that, about 2 hours into the flight, the helicopter "ran out of fuel." He performed an autorotation to a grassy lot and the helicopter landed hard, which resulted in structural damage. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel system was intact, that both fuel tanks were undamaged, and that each tank contained about 1 gallon or less of fuel, which was consistent with the unusable fuel quantity for each tank. The student pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter. Thus, because the student did not account for the pressure, temperature, and other performance metrics for his preflight calculations or in-flight fuel monitoring, he did not have sufficient fuel on board to complete the flight.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 57 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 34 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 9, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 29, 2017; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OYM St Marys PA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: OYM St Marys PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from FIG, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on December 3, 2018. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Memo for Record - Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos Provided by FAA | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N9526 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.