Bell 47D1 accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma, April 25, 1995
On April 25, 1995 at about 3:50 pm local time, a Bell 47D1 (helicopter), registered N2202C, was destroyed in an accident near Ardmore, Oklahoma. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH A POWER TRANSMISSION ARRAY STATIC LINE WHEN THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND DUAL (PRIVATE PILOT) STUDENT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 1995 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Ardmore, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47D1 · all 47D1s on the register
- Registration
- N2202C · registry record · serial M-1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON A LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT, PREPARING THE PRIVATE PILOT STUDENT FOR HIS COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE CHECK FLIGHT, THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED INTO A CLEARING. DURING DEPARTURE FROM THIS SITE, THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE STATIC LINE OF A POWER TRANSMISSION ARRAY WHICH CROSSED THE AREA. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED IN A VERTICAL DESCENT APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET BEYOND THE TRANSMISSION LINE.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,589 hours in all; 1,404 in this make and model; 96 in the last 90 days; 44 in the last 30 days; 1,379 as pilot in command; 534 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,044 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 21, 1995; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V4-200-C32 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1F0 at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:48 pm from ADM, 11 miles away
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 N2202C 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.