Bell 47G accident near Groveland, Florida, November 7, 2019
On November 7, 2019 at about 4:05 pm local time, a 1958 Bell 47G (helicopter), registered N6746D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Groveland, Florida (Seminole Lake airport). It was a personal 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 improper cyclic input after a reported hydraulic failure, the reason for which could not be determined, and his failure to follow the emergency procedures, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 2019 · about 4:05 pm local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Groveland, Florida · Seminole Lake · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G 2, built 1958 · all 47Gs on the register
- Registration
- N6746D · no longer on the register · serial 2250
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during landing, the helicopter experienced a hydraulic failure. He added that he "overreacted" by making multiple commands to the cyclic, which resulted in a tail strike, followed by a hard landing and roll-over. The helicopter caught fire, and the student egressed through the left door. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tailboom. According to Federal Aviation Administration inspectors who interviewed the pilot immediately following the accident, the pilot stated that he overreacted and that he did not accomplish the helicopter manufacturer's Hydraulic Failure emergency procedure because he "didn't want to let go of the cyclic or the collective to turn off the hydraulic pressure switch." The hydraulic pump and the hydraulic lines were damaged during the postaccident fire; therefore, the reason for the reported hydraulic failure could not be determined.
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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › (general) › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the flight controls
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 19,000 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 18,925 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 10, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO435 (piston); 160 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 6FL0 Groveland FL at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 6FL0 Groveland FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from KZPH, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 5, 2020. 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 | Memorandum for Record | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | PDF, 1 page · our copy | 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 N6746D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6746D: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Bell 47 478 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,080 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming VO435 191 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Seminole Lake · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 985 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,705 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N6746D 2 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/GAA20CA062.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.