Bell 47G-4 accident near Robinson, Texas, May 12, 2003
On May 12, 2003 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Bell 47G-4 (helicopter), registered N4205D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Robinson, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the ground while performing a quick stop maneuver which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 2003 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Robinson, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-4 · all 47G-4s on the register
- Registration
- N4205D · no longer on the register · serial 3374
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While performing a quick stop maneuver in the helicopter, the tail rotor contacted the ground, and the helicopter started to move to the right. The pilot "possibly overcorrected to the left, and the helicopter rolled over on its left side." The pilot reported that both tail rotor blades were bent, the main rotor blades were damaged, and the left skid was separated. The pilot did not find any evidence of a tail rotor strike on the ground.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,713 hours in all; 87 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Robinson TX
- Destination: Waco TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.