Bell 47G accident near Grand Prairie, Texas, October 20, 1990
On October 20, 1990 at about 10:05 pm local time, a Bell 47G (helicopter), registered N1071Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grand Prairie, Texas (Grand Prairie airport). It was an instructional 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 PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE EXISTING TAILWIND CONDITIONS AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 1990 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Prairie, Texas · Grand Prairie · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G · all 47Gs on the register
- Registration
- N1071Z · registry record · serial 999
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI WAS HOVER TAXIING IN AN APPROXIMATE 20 KT TAILWIND CONDITION. HE NOTICED A DECREASE IN ROTOR RPM AND, ACCORDING TO HIS WRITTEN REPORT, 'REAPPLIED POWER TO REGAIN RPMS.' THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND INTO THE WIND. TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED ON A SLOPE AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE.
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; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 5,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F67 at 10:00 pm
- Destination: F67
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 20 knots, gusting 35
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N1071Z 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.